Six over-the-air television stations serving the Baltimore market have initiated broadcasts using the ATSC 3.0-powered new digital broadcast standard.
The stations involved are owned by The E.W. Scripps Co., Hearst Television, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Cunningham Broadcasting and Maryland Public Television.
On Thursday, Scripps’ ABC affiliated WMAR-2 entered the NEXTGEN TV era, as did Hearst-owned NBC affiliate WBAL-11 and Sinclair’s flagship property, “FOX45” WBFF.
Also getting NEXTGEN TV — Sinclair-run and Cunningham-owned WNUV-54 and MPT stations WMPT-TV and WMPB-TV.
Noticeably absent from the NEXTGEN TV arrival in Baltimore: WJZ-13, the CBS O&O serving the market.
The launch in Baltimore follows a decade of development of the new technology and months of planning and preparation by the local stations.
BitPath, which is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the six television stations.
WBFF and WNUV will be charter members of the BitPath data broadcast network, launching later this year.
