FCC Seeking Comments On NEXTGEN TV Multi-Station Multicast Ruling

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The FCC’s Media Bureau is now seeking comment on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling and Petition for Rulemaking filed earlier this month by the NAB that asks the Commission to clarify and, to the extent necessary, change the licensing treatment of a NEXTGEN TV station’s multicast streams under the NEXTGEN TV local simulcasting rules.


As RBR+TVBR reported on November 15, the NAB believes broadcasters have discovered an area “where straightforward clarification of the Commission’s current rules would help broadcasters preserve existing service to viewers and a gap in the Commission’s 2017 rules that must be addressed.”

Specifically, the NAB wants the FCC to clarify that its existing rules permit a station transmitting in ATSC 3.0 to partner with one or more other stations that would host the first station’s simulcasted ATSC 1.0 multicast streams to preserve existing service in the market.

It also wants the Commission to establish rules permitting a station transmitting in ATSC 3.0 to partner with one or more other stations that would host the first station’s ATSC 1.0 multicast streams, regardless of whether those ATSC 1.0 multicast streams are simulcast in ATSC 3.0, and also permit a station transmitting in ATSC 1.0 to partner with one or more other stations to host content transmitted in ATSC 3.0.

As such, the Media Bureau seeks comment on the Petition for Declaratory Rulemaking, and concurrent Petition for Rulemaking.

The Comment Date is December 24.
The Reply Comment Date is January 25, 2021.