Smith Doesn't See FCC Opposition to ATSC Transition Effort

LAS VEGAS -- NAB doesn't expect opposition at the FCC to the joint petition for approval of the ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcasting standard, NAB CEO Gordon Smith told us at the NAB Show after his keynote Monday. "We have no reason to believe they are opposed in any way." The FCC "has a choice before it," Smith said during the speech, praising the standard's voluntary transition plan. "It is our job as your association to make sure you have choices for the future," Smith told the NAB Show crowd. "It is not our job to make those choices."

ATSC 3.0 will "better align" broadcasting with an "IP-based world" and increase its ability to compete with wireless and data providers, Smith said. "Every broadcaster will have the freedom to experiment with this new technology and explore new business models," he said. The move to ATSC 3.0 and the balance between broadcasters transitioning to the new standard and consumer electronics companies producing devices that make use of it "will be an ongoing process with many players and much complexity," Smith said. CE entities such as Zenith and CTA are part of the ATSC 3.0 petition, so they have an interest in making the standard a success, he said.

Smith told us he hopes FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will share information about the current state of the incentive auction with broadcasters at the NAB Show, such as the commission's clearing target. Though he conceded confidentiality concerns might hamper Wheeler's ability to be forthcoming about the auction, the more information the chairman can share with broadcasters, "the better," Smith said. He admonished the commission for being too "enamored" with "mobile broadband and Silicon Valley." FCC policies are leading to a future in which not everyone can afford to watch video content, he said. If the FCC limits broadcasters' negotiation options for retransmission consent deals, it could restrict the public's access to free broadcast content, Smith said.

Millennials make up the largest mass of radio listenership, and radio should "evolve" with its listeners, Smith said. Part of that evolution is continuing the push to unlock FM chips in smartphones and making sure cars continue to have dashboard radios, he said. "We know that radio is what drivers want most, and we'll also ensure that Detroit knows it."