WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Media Bureau announced Friday that the Next Gen TV Second Report & Order, Order on Reconsideration, and associated rule changes now have an official effective date.
What does this mean for broadcast TV station licensees across the U.S.?
On June 16, the Commission released the Next Gen TV Second Report and Order and
Order on Reconsideration.
This authorizes the permissive use of the “Next Generation” broadcast TV standard, powered by ATSC 3.0 technology.
The second R&O on reconsideration resolves the pending issues in the proceeding that authorized broadcasters to use ATSC 3.0.
The second R&O addresses the three issues raised in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) issued in conjunction with the first Next Gen TV Report and Order.
Specifically, it provides additional guidance to broadcasters deploying Next Gen TV that wish to receive a waiver of the local simulcasting rules.
It also declines to permit the use of vacant broadcast channels for purposes of Next Gen TV deployment at this time.
And, it clarifies the “significantly viewed” status of Next Gen TV stations.
The Next Gen TV Order on Reconsideration dismisses and, on alternative and independent grounds, denies the two petitions for reconsideration of the first Next Gen TV Report and Order, the Media Bureau notes.
The effective date of the rule changes, the order on reconsideration and the second R&O was dependent on publication in the Federal Register of a summary of each order. That happened Friday (7/17). As such, in 30 days (8/17) the changes will become official.
