FCC Media Bureau Seeks Comment on NextGen TV Transition

The FCC has set May 7 as the deadline for comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by the National Association of Broadcasters seeking immediate action on a proposed two-phased transition deadline for all television stations to transition to full ATSC 3.0 operations.

The FCC summarized the proposal in a public notice released April 7.  NAB proposes that stations in the top 55 TV markets reaching about 70% of viewers be required to transition in February 2028, with limited waivers for small and noncommercial TV stations if necessary. TV stations in the remaining markets would transition two years later in February 2030.

The key to mandating transition to the ATSC 3.0 standard is tied to a tuner mandate that NAB also proposes to ensure that consumers who buy new TVs can continue receiving broadcast programming.  Other proposals include updating the MVPD carriage rules to modify the “good quality signal” rule, and relaxation of the 95% coverage requirement for expedited application processing.

Reply comments are due June 7^th.