Five Stations in Albany Participate in Launch of NextGen Broadcasting

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Sinclair, Nexstar, Mission and WMHT Public Media execute switch to ATSC 3.0

NextGen TV

Five television stations in Albany, N.Y., on Thursday began the switchover to NextGen TV broadcasting.

WCWN-TV, owned by Sinclair Broadcast, converted to ATSC 3.0 transmissions and will broadcast its own programming as well as the programming carried by Sinclair’s WRGB-TV, Nexstar’s WTEN-TV, Mission Broadcasting’s WXXA-TV and WMHT Public Media’s WMHT-TV.

All of the stations’ programming will continue to be broadcast using the current digital broadcast standard ATSC 1.0 until a critical mass of viewers have TV sets that receive NextGen signals.

Also: Public Broadcasters' Jump Into NextGen TV Tiptoes Into Alliances with Commercial Ventures

NextGen TV promises a better picture, improved sound quality and access to digital content. Signals can be received by mobile devices and can deliver new digital services. 

The launch in Albany follows a decade of development and months of planning and preparation by the local stations. BitPath, which is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the five television stations. 

NewGen TV has been launched in more than 40 cities so far. ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.