Press Releases

Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) and the other Co-Chairs of the Congressional Broadcasters Caucus, Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Mike Flood (NE-01), and Darren Soto (FL-09), led a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, Commissioner Anna Gomez, and Commissioner Olivia Trusty.

Joined by 87 of their colleagues, the lawmakers are urging the FCC to establish a firm timeline for the nationwide transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 or "NextGen TV" to ensure industry certainty, continued manufacturing investments, strengthened competitiveness of free and local broadcasting, and a smooth, consumer-focused transition.

Read the full letter to the FCC here or below:

“Dear Chairman Carr, Commissioner Gomez, and Commissioner Trusty:

“We are pleased to see that last year, the Federal Communications Commission (‘FCC’ or ‘Commission’) took an important step toward establishing a firm transition plan for rolling out the Next Generation Television standard (‘Next Gen TV’ or ‘ATSC 3.0’). We now urge the Commission to take the next steps to bring this transition to completion and unlock the full range of benefits enabled by the Next Gen TV platform. It is of utmost importance that local broadcast stations throughout the country are able to serve our constituents not only with the improved pictures, sounds, and interactive features that Next Gen TV provides, but also with expanded local news capabilities, advanced emergency alerting, and the ability to deliver hyper-localized content that is the fabric of our local communities.

“More than 75% of the U.S. population – across 80 markets – already has access to Next Gen TV. Consumers have purchased more than 14 million compatible television sets and are already enjoying the benefits of enhanced video and audio quality and interactive features. Yet while local markets continue to launch, the lack of a firm transition timeline threatens the broad availability of these benefits to rural and urban markets alike and slows market momentum.

“Regulatory certainty would spur manufacturer investment.

“Broadcasters and device manufacturers alike need regulatory certainty to make long-term investments and fully realize the potential of this technology. Manufacturers may hesitate to scale device production while consumer demand for Next Gen remains limited, yet broadcasters cannot spark that demand until they regain access to their full channel capacity and can showcase the full capabilities of ATSC 3.0. By establishing a clear path forward, the Commission can help overcome these natural market hesitations and ensure that free, over-the-air television continues to thrive and evolve to meet viewers’ needs, rather than risk gradual erosion through inaction. A clear signal from the FCC that the transition is moving forward will unlock greater manufacturer investment in the consumer device marketplace – a win-win that fosters competition and ensures that viewers benefit from a vibrant marketplace of affordable, Next Gen TV-ready products. A firm transition date would catalyze the entire ecosystem, focusing technical development, accelerating deployment, and creating a predictable path forward.

“Regulatory certainty would also ensure continued access to high-value content.

“As the video marketplace evolves, it has become a competitive imperative for video platforms to deliver ultra-high-definition (4K) programming. This is particularly essential to the continued vitality and competitiveness of local television broadcasters’ free, local, and trusted service in our communities. Without the certainty of a firm transition, broadcasters will struggle to compete for high-value programming such as 4K sports, risking a shift of that content to tech platforms, undermining decades of investment in local news. Viewers would lose a free, over-the-air option that provides a wide variety of compelling programming and community-focused journalism.

“Finally, and most importantly, regulatory certainty would also bring critical public safety and national security benefits.

“A date-certain transition to ATSC 3.0 is essential to enable a terrestrial complement to GPS nationwide utilizing the precise timing signals from broadcast towers. If GPS is disrupted by jamming, spoofing, or other means, our nation’s vital infrastructure – from financial markets to transportation and everything in between – would be at risk. A swift transition to ATSC 3.0 can facilitate a GPS complement that is incredibly resilient, but only if the FCC acts swiftly in this transition. 

“Just as the FCC has successfully championed other innovative technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, and the 2009 digital TV transition, the time is now for the FCC to transition to Next Gen TV. We urge the FCC to work with Congress and industry to ensure a smooth transition and to protect consumers with legacy TVs, so that all viewers and local communities benefit from the opportunities enabled by the upgrade from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0.  

“Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.”

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