President’s Memo: Looking Ahead to Getting Together

Posted on February 19, 2025 in ATSC News

With the annual CES in the rear-view mirror, the broadcasting industry looks ahead to several opportunities this year to get together – the next being the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas during the first week of April. We’re finalizing plans for a wide variety of demonstrations, events and new products that will be featured in the ATSC booth located in West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and more details will come next month. The ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference is set for June 12-13 in Washington, D.C., and registration opens in early March. And we’re excited to return to Brazil for SET Expo this summer.

As we await the Presidential Decree from Brazil on the recommended selection of several ATSC 3.0 components for their upgraded broadcasting system, the country’s Minister of Communications says the goal of the upgrade is “to grant the largest possible number of channels to bring more culture, entertainment, service provision and quality information to all corners of the country, especially in more remote places. TV is a democratic, accessible vehicle that provides credible and high-quality information, which is essential today,” according to Juscelino Filho.

In the United States, February is traditionally a recognition of Black History Month, and I am reflecting on the contributions and accomplishments of the African American community particularly in technology and innovation. From the trailblazing achievements of pioneers like Dr. Mark Dean, one of the original architects of the personal computer, to modern-day leaders within our own organization, like Derek Powell, Zandra Clarke, Renard Jenkins, Dr. Claire Grant, and many more.  Black History Month serves as a reminder of the strength, perseverance, and vision that have shaped our industries.

Since the last issue of The Standard newsletter, ATSC members approved a new Standard, which  has been published on the ATSC web site. The document, A/345, describes the video coding constraints on ITU-T Rec. H.266 | International Standard ISO/IEC 23090-3 (“VVC”) when it is used for video compression in the ATSC 3.0 Digital Television System. You can read more in the Standards Update column.

Another exciting development (as noted in my recent TV Tech column entitled Decoding the Mobile Broadcasting Landscape) is the increasing role of mobile broadcasting as a key component of the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem, important for consumers and broadcasters alike. With growing demand for mobile content delivery, ATSC 3.0 is uniquely poised to offer innovative solutions that meet the needs of today’s on-the-go viewers.

As we continue to forge ahead with our planned activities for the year, the annual NextGen Broadcast Conference is just a few months away. We’ll be gathering at the beautiful Convene Hamilton Square conference venue in Washington, D.C. Starting with meetings of the Business Advisory Council, TG3 and Board of Directors on June 11, followed by our 2-day conference and member meeting on June 12-13. Registration will be open in early March and sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are available – so keep a watch for that. The planning team is working diligently on an exciting program. A brief teaser is offered in this issue.

As you plan your year ahead, we hope to find you at NAB Show Las Vegas, at our NextGen Broadcast Conference, at SET Expo, and later in the year at IBC in Amsterdam. In between all of this, of course, we sincerely appreciate the frequent interactions with members participating in our technology groups, implementation and planning teams, and expert groups.

Madeleine Noland

President, ATSC

Posted in ATSC News