ATSC 3.0 Multicast Item Sticks to Much of NAB Request

No changes have been proposed internally to a draft FCC order clarifying ATSC 3.0 multicast rules, though the item hasn't been OK'd by all commissioners, said agency and industry officials in recent interviews. Broadcasters say approving the item -- which stems from an NAB petition for clarification -- will speed the transition to 3.0. “Anything we can do to expedite 3.0 deployment will be for the benefit of viewers and platform users,” said One Media Executive Vice President-Strategic and Legal Affairs Jerald Fritz.

Broadcast industry officials expect the item to be approved in 2021. But NCTA urged the FCC to wait for a more expansive proceeding, in a filing posted in docket 16-142 Thursday. “It would be best to examine the issues raised by NAB’s Petition in conjunction with other ATSC 3.0 rules that may need revision,” said NCTA in a meeting Monday with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. NCTA characterized the NAB petition as “seeking expanded authority for stations to control the spectrum of other stations in the market to broadcast their programming.” The FCC didn’t comment Thursday.

Broadcasters aren’t seeking expanded authority, but “plugging a hole in the rules” that hadn’t been anticipated when the FCC OK'd the 3.0 standard, said Brooks Pierce's Coe Ramsey. The draft item appears to hew closely to the NAB petition, clarifying rules for 3.0 simulcasting to allow arrangements where a single broadcaster’s multicast, secondary programming streams are divided among multiple hosting stations and clearing up what station is responsible for any FCC violations when one station is hosting the multicast stream of others. Broadcasters said the current rules aren't clear on such arrangements, which can slow negotiations for stations working out hosting arrangements.

“NAB’s proposed changes are intended to ensure that the Commission has a consistent regulatory framework,” said the association in an Oct. 21 call with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington, per a filing posted Monday.

With multicast rules uncertain, broadcasters have been using requests for special temporary authority to get Media Bureau approval for the more arcane 3.0 multicasting arrangements. “We continue to file those STAs as needed,” said Ramsey. The process “is working” but creates “extra steps” for broadcasters and FCC staff, he said. STAs must be periodically renewed. “We’re quite encouraged by the Commission’s commitment to streamlining what has been an awkward set of work-arounds,” said Fritz. The Media Bureau said earlier this month it had granted 34 STAs as part of the 3.0 transition (see 2109290063).