FOX Television Stations has joined the Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance, becoming the first major owned-and-operated TV station member of the coalition.
To date, the AWARN Alliance has served as a coalition of commercial and public broadcasters, consumer electronics makers, tech companies, and trade associations that’s developing a voluntary advanced emergency messaging capability using the next-generation broadcast TV standard (ATSC 3.0). It represents a voluntary public-private partnership for using Next Generation Television to provide “a powerful new service” for public safety.
“Our stations are dedicated to serving their communities, and nothing is more important than giving people the information they need to stay safe in emergencies,” said FOX Television Stations EVP/Engineering, Operations and Technology Richard Friedel. “We support the Alliance’s broader mission to develop a framework for providing emergency information beyond the initial alert. ATSC 3.0 will enable FOX Television Stations to use its local news assets as never before, and we are happy to add our voice to that initiative.”
John Lawson, executive director of the AWARN Alliance, said FOX’s move to join the coalition adds to its momentum. “Combined with their reach and expertise, FOX has the leadership and vision to make a positive and lasting impact with us. Along with their commitment to ATSC 3.0, FOX’s support of AWARN means recognition of the power of this technology to serve their communities at a whole new level.”
AWARN will be launching roundtable discussions with TV news thought leaders in the months ahead. The goal is development of a voluntary framework for packaging a TV station’s news assets and using ATSC 3.0 to engage with viewers as their trusted information source across multiple devices.
