FCC proposal on NextGen TV transition draws cautious industry response

The Federal Communications Commission’s draft proposal to eliminate mandatory simulcasting requirements for television broadcasters transitioning to ATSC 3.0 has garnered cautious support from industry organizations, though the plan stops short of establishing the firm transition deadlines some broadcasters sought.

The National Association of Broadcasters praised the commission’s October notice of proposed rulemaking as “an important inflection point” while emphasizing the need for regulatory certainty.

NAB had petitioned the FCC in February 2025 requesting mandatory conversion deadlines, February 2028 for stations in the top 55 markets and February 2030 for remaining stations, but the commission’s proposal instead maintains a voluntary, market-driven framework.

“The FCC’s draft notice comes on the heels of new investment in ATSC 3.0 across the government and industry,” wrote Alex Siciliano, NAB senior vice president of communications, in an Oct. 9 blog post. He cited a $744,000 Department of Transportation contract awarded to NAB for field testing of Broadcast Positioning System technology, which uses NextGen TV signals to supplement GPS.

The commission’s approach would permit broadcasters to discontinue ATSC 1.0 transmissions at their discretion while eliminating current requirements that programming on both formats be substantially similar. More than 125 stations in 77 markets covering approximately 75 percent of U.S. households currently broadcast using the ATSC 3.0 standard, according to NAB.

Pearl TV, a consortium that helped develop the ATSC 3.0 standard and has coordinated market launches since the FCC authorized the technology in 2017, framed the proposal as confirmation that the transition has entered its final phase.

“Pearl TV and the local broadcasters commend FCC Chairman Carr for launching a new proceeding on NextGen TV that signals to the consumer technology industry, broadcasters and consumers that the final transition to next-generation broadcasting is underway,” said Anne Schelle, the organization’s managing director.

Schelle emphasized the standard’s potential to enhance local broadcasting’s competitive position against streaming platforms while improving emergency alerting and public safety communications.

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Pearl TV has worked with broadcasters on market deployments and collaborated with device manufacturers to develop features utilizing the standard’s capabilities.

The ATSC, the standards development organization responsible for the technical specifications, adopted a measured stance regarding the proceeding.

Madeleine Noland, ATSC president, said the organization views the proposal as initiating necessary conversations about transition acceleration while maintaining the group’s policy-neutral position.

“ATSC believes it’s good that conversations are underway and that the next phase of the transition is about to begin,” Noland said. “While ATSC doesn’t advocate for specific positions, we remain focused on developing and promoting the best possible next-generation broadcast system for the United States and around the world.”

The proposal leaves several complex technical and policy questions unresolved.

The commission seeks comment on whether to mandate ATSC 3.0 tuners in television sets, how to address digital rights management encryption that has rendered signals inaccessible on certain certified devices, and whether to extend must-carry obligations to ATSC 3.0 transmissions.

The notice also requests information on accessibility requirements, consumer equipment subsidy programs and whether minimum broadcast service standards should specify what portion of spectrum must be devoted to free over-the-air programming versus datacasting or other services enabled by the standard’s internet protocol architecture.

The proceeding does not propose specific transition deadlines, instead seeking comment on “whether there should be an eventual sunset of 1.0 broadcasting and if so, whether the sunset of 1.0 should be tied to a date certain or specific market conditions.”

Public comment deadlines will be established 60 days after Federal Register publication for initial comments and 90 days for replies. The commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal at the end of October.