The company that seeks to expand beyond the FCC’s present-day 39% national ownership cap thanks to the restoration of the “UHF Discount” — ahead of a wholesale review of such caps — won’t have any trouble getting a range of audience data and program ratings for years to come.
Sinclair Broadcast Group on Thursday (2/1) reached a multi-year renewal agreement with Nielsen for TV ratings.
The deal includes a range of services across Sinclair’s local stations, digital broadcast networks and national unwired network. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Megan Clarken, President of Nielsen’s Watch division, said the company was “delighted” to continue its relationship with Sinclair “and to support the countless growth opportunities involved in the deployment of ATSC 3.0.”
Sinclair EVP/COO Steve Marks added, “We are happy to continue our long-standing relationship, and look forward to Nielsen’s investments in Local broadcasting, as well as its future support of ATSC 3.0.”
Sinclair has taken a lead role in the voluntary roll-out of the Next Gen broadcast TV standard, known as ATSC 3.0. With the FCC’s approval on Nov. 16, 2017 by a 3-2 GOP-led vote to allow broadcasters to voluntary implement ATSC 3.0 next gen television signals at their UHF and VHF stations, Sinclair subsidiary ONE Media intends to “fully deploy ATSC 3.0” on Sinclair’s stations nationwide.
Broadcasters can begin using ATSC 3.0 on a “market-driven, voluntary basis” 30 days from Friday, Feb. 2.
That’s because the Federal Register today notes in its “pending publication” heading for the FCC the authorization of permissive use of the Next Generation Broadcast Television Standard.
A preview of what is to be published appears here, in a 102-page PDF.
