CTA Unveils ATSC 3.0 Branding

The Consumer Technology Association has unveiled a new logo for devices--4K Ultra HD TVs, gateway receivers, portable devices--that meet new ATSC 3.0 interoperability specs.  

CTA is billing NEXTGEN TV as the go-to-market monicker for the new TV transmission standard technology which will allow broadcasters to deliver targeted ads and alerts and get into the interactivity digital space, as well as deliver even higher-definition TV pictures. 

Related: FCC Opens Door to Next-Gen TV

The logo was developed in coordination with broadcasters, device manufacturers and standards engineers.  

ATSC 3.0 will be rolled out by TV stations beginning next year.  

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (the ATSC in "ATSC) tasked CTA with coming up with the marketing nomenclature. 

“NAB proudly endorses the NEXTGEN TV logo," said Gordon Smith, president of the National Association of Broadcasters. "Broadcasters are committed to NEXTGEN TV technology that enhances the TV viewing experience with better picture quality, immersive audio and improved public safety features. We salute our consumer technology partners and look forward to NEXTGEN TV sets on store shelves next year.”

the FCC in May started accepting TV station applications to modify their licenses to allow them to broadcast in the ATSC 3.0 transmission standard, which will allow for interactivity, targeted advertising, 4K pictures and more, though it will require a new TV set or adapter to receive them.

Related: Pai Says FCC Is Working on New ATSC 3.0 Orders

The FCC authorized the new service in November 2018, saying the transition was a voluntary one--the analog-to-DTV transition in 2009 was not. But it could not start accepting applications until it had modified its online Licensing and Management System (LMS) to accommodate the new applications, which it has done.

Between that November authorization and late May, the FCC granted several temporary authorities to test ATSC 3.0. No more test licenses will be granted absent unusual circumstances. 

Experimental stations will have to file for a modification before their experimental license expires or stop broadcasting in ATSC 3.0. The FCC is advising those stations not to wait until the last minute, but instead file at least 30 days before their temporary license expires. 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.