The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a new rule that would require all television broadcasters to fully shut off their current ATSC 1.0 broadcast signals in favor of a full transition to ATSC 3.0 within the next few years.
The proposal, sent to the FCC and its chairman Brendan Carr on Tuesday, would require broadcasters in the top 55 TV markets to wind down their ATSC 1.0 signal by 2028, with the remaining stations being forced to transition to ATSC 3.0 — also known as “NextGen TV” — on a full-time basis two years later.
“Taking into account annual viewing patterns, it is feasible and desirable for the top 55 markets to complete a transition to ATSC 3.0 on a single date in February 2028,” the NAB wrote in its petition. “An additional 18-24 months would provide sufficient time for all remaining stations to complete the work necessary to transmit in ATSC 3.0. Therefore, NAB proposes that the remaining markets should transition in or before February 2030.”
The NAB represents the commercial TV and radio industry, including major broadcasters like Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, the E. W. Scripps Company and TEGNA. The group says many of its member broadcasters have already launched ATSC 3.0 signals that reach more than 80 percent of the United States. Those signals not only allow for better reception of high-definition — and, eventually, ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) — video signals, but also includes advanced datacasting capabilities, such as the ability to target consumers with personalized ads and deliver hyperlocal emergency notifications.
But most consumers have not updated their TV sets to take full advantage of the new broadcast standard, and no rules exist that force TV set manufacturers to integrate NextGen TV tuners in their devices. Only around 10 percent of new TVs shipped in 2024 contained NextGen TV tuners, even though major TV manufacturers like Hisense, Sony and Samsung have committed to making TVs that are compatible with ATSC 3.0.
The FCC can address the issue of adoption by updating existing rules regarding the implementation of digital TV tuners in all manufactured sets to cover NextGen TV tuners as well, the NAB said. The update would essentially require all TV sets sold in the United States to have integrated NextGen TV-capable tuners by 2028.
The proposal is the most-aggressive move to wind down the current digital broadcast standard and replace it with NextGen TV. Under current federal regulations, broadcasters are required to continue an ATSC 1.0 simulcast of their main channel through at least 2027 if they launch an ATSC 3.0 signal in a market, or participate in the distribution of their network feed over ATSC 3.0 by use of a lighthouse station.
