Jerald Fritz advocates for harmony between broadcasters and manufacturers during the transition to NextGen TV technology.
In a heated debate, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and broadcasters are locked in a dispute over whether the government should mandate NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) tuners and enforce a firm transition deadline to the new broadcast standard. The CTA, along with some technology industry groups, argue that such mandates would increase TV costs and force cable operators to invest heavily in new infrastructure. Critics also express concern that a government-imposed transition conflicts with prior deregulatory policies and that broadcasters may seek to use spectrum for new commercial purposes beyond traditional TV.
On the other side of the argument, broadcasters, including the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and related organizations, strongly support a mandatory transition with hard deadlines. They emphasize the benefits of NextGen TV for the broadcast industry’s viability and innovation, such as enhanced picture/audio quality and new service capabilities. Broadcasters argue this transition will help them remain competitive against tech companies and diversify revenue via services enabled by ATSC 3.0.
Jerald Fritz, a longtime broadcaster and former FCC official, has taken a clear stance in defense of the broadcaster position and the need for new FCC regulations to accelerate the NextGen TV transition. Fritz contends that the CTA’s opposition to mandates oversimplifies the issue and that both broadcasters and CTA members should actually be aligned in supporting NextGen TV.
Fritz highlights that broadcasters have already deployed the NextGen TV standard to more than 3/4 of the U.S. population, but 88% of the broadcast channel capacity structured to deliver NextGen TV services is stuck behind a regulatory wall. Fritz compares the current implementation of NextGen TV to a scenario where new 5G or 6G phones cannot be sold until every existing 3G user can use the new technology.
Broadcasters and set manufacturers have long operated under government mandates for "rigid standards" in TV transmission and reception, according to Fritz. He calls for the government to free the markets and ensure that all parties are using the approved NextGen TV standard for the benefit of all. Fritz invokes President Reagan’s phrase, "Mr. Shapiro, help tear down this wall!", in reference to the regulatory barriers for NextGen TV.
CTA member companies are including the NextGen TV technology in millions of TV sets. ATSC 3.0 addresses issues such as mobile applications to watch TV, enhancements to picture or sound quality, hyper-localized or personalized programming, advertising, and emergency alerts, and provides an extraordinarily robust one-to-many data platform. However, Fritz asserts that the current implementation regime for NextGen TV standard is limiting the incentives for CTA companies and consumers to adopt it.
Fritz's arguments suggest that CTA member companies should be eager to provide products capturing the new services offered by NextGen TV, as it presents new opportunities for product development, new markets, and profits. His statements imply that the CTA's criticisms about broadcasters' investment and consumer adoption of 3.0 broadcasts may be misguided, given the regulatory hurdles broadcasters face in showcasing the benefits of the technology.
Gary Shapiro, CTA CEO, has been running CTA for almost 35 years and has an excellent legal and Capitol Hill background. The debate between broadcasters and the tech industry is expected to continue as both sides present their arguments to the FCC and policymakers.
- The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and broadcasters, including the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), are embroiled in a dispute over the government mandating NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) tuners and enforcing a transition deadline.
- Broadcasters, such as Jerald Fritz, former FCC official and longtime broadcaster, advocate for a mandatory transition with hard deadlines, citing benefits like enhanced picture/audio quality, new service capabilities, and maintaining broadcast industry competitiveness.
- Fritz argues that CTA's opposition to mandates overlooks the current implementation hurdles for NextGen TV, including stuck regulation that hinders technology delivery to 88% of the broadcast channel capacity.
- Fritz compares the NextGen TV situation to selling new 5G or 6G phones while existing 3G users cannot use the new technology.
- According to Fritz, both broadcasters and CTA member companies should support NextGen TV as it offers opportunities for product development, new markets, and profits, given the technology's features like mobile applications and emergency alerts.
- The continuing debate will see both sides presenting their arguments to the FCC and policymakers, with CTA CEO Gary Shapiro, a seasoned legal and Capitol Hill veteran, leading the tech industry's stance.
