ATSC Faces Early-June ‘Go/No-Go’ Deadline for August In-Person Conference

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser's (D) May 17 order lifting COVID-19 capacity restrictions on large business gatherings by June 11 made ATSC President Madeleine Noland “definitely more optimistic” her group's annual NextGen Broadcast Conference can be an in-person event Aug. 25-26 at the Reagan Building, Noland told us Monday. ATSC hopes to hold the conference as a hybrid event with a virtual component, she said.

Noland characterizes her outlook as “cautiously optimistic,” she said. “Look at the IFA conference being canceled. I realize that’s another part of the world, but still, it’s something to ponder.” Along with Bowser’s order, the opening of registrations for NAB Show 2021 was “another positive sign,” she said. “I would love to be able to have at least the hybrid, where we have some in-person portions of the event with those who have been given permission to travel and feel comfortable traveling.”

Many would-be ATSC conference attendees work for organizations whose COVID-19 travel bans aren’t due to expire until at least late August, said Noland. She personally canvassed members of ATSC’s technical committees a few weeks ago on their interest and capability of traveling to Washington for the conference, she said. “It was very informal, very anecdotal. Out of the group of people I asked, only one person said they would definitely not come, and that’s because they know now that their company’s restrictions will last beyond that date.”

Some ATSC members see “the light at the end of the tunnel” for COVID-19, while others are “pretty worried” and some “are kind of halfway in between,” said Noland, saying she would put herself in the last category. “While things may seem to be looking pretty good here in the U.S., ATSC is an international organization. The work we’re doing in India is on 100% hold. We can’t do anything, and that’s not good.” Noland anticipates the first week of June will be ATSC’s “go/no-go date” for deciding whether it will proceed with the conference as a hybrid or virtual-only event, she said: “There comes a point at which people need to make plans or not.”

The annual NextGen Broadcast Conference is two events in one, said Noland. It involves the ATSC annual membership meeting, plus a conference with keynoters and PowerPoint presentations, she said. “With respect to the annual meeting, we must provide the ability for our members to attend remotely, and so we will.” In-person conference experiences can be “replicated” well for virtual audiences, she said. “The speakers, the panels, the keynotes -- I think those can translate nicely into a remote virtual event.” It’s unclear whether ATSC will be able to convene its customary tabletop exhibits for those attending the physical conference, she said. Those exhibits are “very important when we have the in-person event,” she said. “If we have some sort of face-to-face part of it, then we’ll have exhibits, I hope, if social distancing allows.”

Consistent with the NAB Show’s promotional slogan that the Oct. 9-13 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center is “so on,” ATSC’s status as an NAB exhibitor is that “we’re so going to be there,” said Noland. Managing the “heavy lifting,” including COVID-19 protocols and show registrations, “we leave that to the NAB as the show organizer,” she said. “We feel that all of that is in great hands with the NAB,” she said. “I put my faith in the NAB organizers that they’re doing the right thing.” ATSC’s overriding “hope” is that “people can come,” she said.

In floor planning for the NAB Show, ATSC will be able to use some booth “concepts we had” for NAB events that didn’t happen due to the pandemic, said Noland. “We’ll be making changes to the plan” to enable social distancing in the booth, and to “accommodate updated messaging,” she said. “Messaging has changed because NextGenTV is marching forward. These last six months have made a big difference in terms of where we are with that. ATSC also has new projects that are underway.” ATSC’s NAB booth will highlight those activities, she said.

In “Maddie’s perfect world, all 210 markets were launched already” with NextGen TV, said Noland when we asked if she was happy with the progress. “Thinking realistically and practically, I think we’re in terrific shape.” She has heard up to 70 TV models are available with NextGenTV reception capability or can be “updated to have it,” and there are “rumors” that Chinese TV makers “might also be getting in the game” before the holiday selling season, she said.

Noland’s “expectation" is that with the possible exception of one city, "some really, really big markets are going to be launched by the end of this year,” she said. “I know that there’s one that’s really tough from a channel-sharing agreement point of view, and where spectrum is super, super tight. But I would expect that we are going to be very, very close to the 62 markets that the broadcasters are targeting.” She’s not at liberty to disclose the identity of that one major market, she said: “I’m pretty sure that’s private information. The broadcasters have been keeping things pretty close to the vest until channel-sharing agreements are in place and done.”

ATSC “posted a position for a new communications staff person,” said Noland. “I expect to be making an announcement real soon now” on the hire, possibly by next week, she said. “It’s really exciting to think about having someone onboard who can really help us both with our internal and external messaging.” The leading candidate is a woman with “veteran” experience as a vice president-communications, she said.