MVPD Concerns About ATSC 3.0 Patents, Carriage Are Unfounded, Says One Media

MVPD concerns about carrying ATSC 3.0 programming are “premature and well within the capabilities of broadcasters and MVPD operators to resolve themselves,” said One Media Executive Vice President-Strategic and Legal Affairs Jerald Fritz in a meeting Wednesday with FCC Video Division Chief Barbara Kreisman and Media Bureau staff, said a filing posted Friday in docket 16-142. The threat of connectivity interruption is “not a reason to delay or compromise development of the service,” Fritz said. MVPD worries that a transition to 3.0 could involve high-cost equipment stem from “a fundamental misunderstanding of the patent monetization process,” the Sinclair affiliate said. “Royalties associated with ATSC 3.0-capable devices will likely be embedded in end-user device costs,” One Media said. “It is highly unlikely that MVPD operators will notice any significant changes to reception equipment costs related to ATSC 3.0 patents."