ATSC 3.0, the next-generation television standard, has planted its flag in Portland, as seven local TV stations have begun broadcasting NextGen TV.
The Portland stations that are broadcasting ATSC 3.0 are the Meredith-owned KPTV (Fox) and KPDX (MyNet), Nextsar’s KOIN (CBS) and KRCW-TV (CW), Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KATU (ABC), Tegna’s KGW (NBC) and KOPB-TV (PBS). With the new technology, these stations will be able to support new developments like immersive audio and video, advanced emergency alerts with rich media, broadcasting to mobile devices and personalized viewing tools.
All participating stations are cooperating to ensure that current programming remains available to all viewers. For antenna viewers, they can rescan their TV sets to ensure full service. Cable and satellite subscribers do not need to take any action.
BitPath, a wireless network provider, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the TV stations. The company said the Portland launch is its largest ATSC 3.0 deployment to date.
Also read: Sinclair's Aitken: ATSC 3.0 Merges News, Alerting
“The future of television in Portland begins today, as the launch of NextGen TV opens the door for innovations that offer a more enriching experience for viewers across platforms,” said Kurt Rao, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Tegna.
“This deployment of NextGen TV in a key top-25 market not only continues the momentum we have built over the last several weeks with the roll-out of this advanced technology in markets such as Las Vegas, Nashville and Salt Lake City, it further enhances the value of Nexstar’s spectrum by enabling us to deliver the highest-quality viewing experience in tandem with internet-based information and hyper-targeted advertising,” said Brett Jenkins, executive vice president and CTO for Nexstar. “The day is rapidly approaching when we will be able to provide the full suite of benefits of NextGen TV to all of the communities served by Nexstar television stations across the country.”
The rollout of NextGen TV began in earnest in 2020, with the goal of reaching the top 40 markets by the end of the year. However, the ATSC organization does acknowledge that there could be some impact from COVID-19 on the deployment of the standard.
This story was originally published by Next TV sibling publication TV Technology.
