President’s Memo : Spring Forward!

Posted on March 8, 2023 in ATSC News

With spring right around the corner, NAB Show 2023 is a mere 38 days away. ATSC is in full-swing planning mode for both the April NAB Show in Las Vegas and the fast-approaching 2023 ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington, D.C. in June. More than a dozen ATSC members will be exhibiting in our West Hall NAB Show booth (#W3443), showcasing the many ways that ATSC standards can benefit both broadcasters and consumers. We’ll be hosting a number of events in the ATSC booth at the NAB Show, and we hope you will join us to learn, network and connect with colleagues. The show itself is also staging several ATSC 3.0-related panels, with details in their show guide for broadcasters.

And as the NAB Show celebrates the centennial of both the show and the trade association, ATSC is also enjoying a milestone year. Formed May 11, 1983, this year marks ATSC’s 40th Anniversary. We’ll soon be sporting a new commemorative logo, and there will be some special activities at the ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference that reflect on our colorful legacy and recognizing people and organizations that contributed to ATSC’s four decades of pioneering standards developments and collaboration — from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 and everything in between.

There is a good chance that you are reading this while I am in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia attending the Asia Broadcast Union Digital Broadcast Symposium (ABU DBS). DBS was launched in 2005 as a central gathering place for Asian broadcasters in the process of, or considering, the transition to digital. Many have now completed that transition or are busy doing so, and the symposium is now one of the region’s premier events for the broadcasting and media industry. As a first-time attendee, I am looking forward to participating in a workshop and panel discussions offering updates on standards development and considerations of sustainability in the media and data delivery space.

In other exciting international news, Trinidad & Tobago is the second nation in the Caribbean (following Jamaica) to adopt ATSC 3.0. The ATSC Board of Directors is working to establish a new group within ATSC for interested members to organize efforts to support the deployments and assist other nations in the region that may wish to explore second generation DTT options.

ATSC and a variety of our members participated late last month in the America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) 2023 Public Media Summit – the first in-person gathering of this event in three years. The exuberance of the return to face-to-face conferences was evident in the high turn-out and the excitement brimming from conversations all around me. Among the wide-ranging topics discussed, a session on NextGen TV was well-attended, and as a panelist, I had the opportunity to update the audience on the current rollout in the U.S. and some of the new services that NextGen TV makes possible. It was also gratifying to share my experience of watching NextGen TV in my home in Boston, which not only looks terrific, but also includes interactivity on the Boston public station, WGBH.

In his APTS Public Media Summit keynote remarks, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks underscored the important viewer and broadcasters benefits of NEXTGEN TV powered by ATSC 3.0. (You can also watch his remarks, here.) Many ATSC members took advantage of the exhibit opportunity there, including PBS North Carolina, TitanTV, NAB, Information Equity Initiative, Gaian Solutions, NHK World, and Pearl TV, displaying the latest developments in 3.0 products and services.

Save the date for our ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington, D.C. on June 13-15, 2023. Registration details are coming soon.

As we Spring Forward, momentum continues to build for ATSC 3.0 here in the United States and around the world! I am thrilled to be part of this industry during a pivotal time in our history especially as we look ahead to the next 40 years.

Thank you to all of our members, partners, and friends who make this possible,

Madeleine Noland, ATSC President

Posted in ATSC News