Next Gen TV Conference to Preview FCC’s ATSC 3.0 License Application Process

A look into the FCC’s ATSC 3.0 commercial license application process will be a featured session during ATSC’s 2019 Next Gen TV Broadcast Conference May 29-30, said a preliminary agenda. “The hope is that the FCC will be ready to share more details" about the license application by the end of May, "but regardless we will preview the process,” emailed spokesperson Dave Arland Thursday. Lack of an FCC license application form to commercially deploy 3.0 services is a serious impediment for broadcasters, last month’s NAB Show was told (see 1904100043). The form may come before June, we were told there (see 1904080066). Other sessions planned for the ATSC conference include a “case study” from the Pearl TV-led model-market project in Phoenix on how stations can work with MVPDs in launching 3.0 services. Automotive uses for 3.0, which retiring ATSC President Mark Richer said in Las Vegas was an increasingly hot topic inside his standards organization, will be another conference session, as will a look into “branding plans” for 3.0. “Your Guide to an ATSC 3.0 Station Transition” is the theme of Day 1, “Ramping Up for the 2020 Launch” for Day 2.