http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-schedules-time-drill-down-atsc-30/166290
Jun 05, 2017 01:57 PM ET
FCC Schedules Time to Drill Down on ATSC 3.0
Sets up late June window for ex parte discussions
By John Eggerton
The FCC has decided to block out some time at the end of the month to talk
about the ATSC 3.0 transmission standard with stakeholders.
In a public notice, the FCC's Media Bureau and Office of Engineering and
Technology announced that window of opportunity for ex parte meetings (with
interested outside parties) on the new standard "given the interest in this
proceeding." That window will be Tuesday, June 27, through Friday, June 30,
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each day. But operators will be standing by, as it
were, if there are "unavoidable conflicts. The FCC said parties can call Media
Bureau staffers in that event to set up "alternate arrangements."
Broadcasters certainly have more than a rooting interest in the standard.
Commercial and noncommercial TV stations and tech companies petitioned the FCC
to allow them to roll out the IP-based, interactive standard on a voluntary
basis, and FCC chairman Ajit Pai supported the move.
The FCC unanimously voted in February-with some reservations by Democratic
commissioner Mignon Clyburn-to support the rollout, provided that broadcasters
continue to transmit content in the current ATSC standard; ATSC 3.0 is not
compatible with current TV sets.
On March 10, the commission's decision, in summary form, was published in the
Federal Register. That triggered the official comment and reply periods, which
the FCC set at 60 and 90 days, respectively. Commenters had until May 9 to
weigh in, with reply comments due June 8.
There have already been many issues and questions raised in those comments,
including how the FCC should treat simulcasts, carriage rights and potential
interference and what it should mandate vs. flexibility in the rollout of the
standard, which will allow for geo-targeting and 4K pictures.
In addition to broadcasters and tech companies, interested parties include
cable operators who want to make sure there are not any new carriage mandates,
for one thing.
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