Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NAB Pitches 50 Percent UHF/VHF Discount

20/03/2018

WASHINGTON The National Association of Broadcasters isnt asking the FCC to raise the bridge to more station ownership, but instead to lower the river.

That came in comments on the FCCs review of the 39 percent cap on a TV station group owners national reach. NAB is not asking the FCC to increase that cap, but instead to retain the 50 percent UHF discount from that cap and extend it to VHF stations, based on "effectively competitive reach," rather than a calculus of "artificially presumed reach" dating from the days of limited channel and service offerings in which broadcasting dominated.

NAB says the FCC cant "consistent with the law" change the 39 percent cap (NAB says "cut back" the percentage of allowable reach, but presumably that also applies to raising it). The cap was set by Congress, but what authority the FCC has to adjust it remains an issue of debate. For example, a handful of state attorneys general has told the FCC that it can't legally raise the cap.

[State AGS Say FCC Cant Raise Ownership Cap]

As to extending the discount, NAB says it has been established that the broadcast reach on which the cap is based is potential audience and that, "in practice," broadcasters cant achieve an audience share that approaches their potential reach.

NAB also sees an unfair regulatory disparity in the way cable and broadcasting are treated since a home is only attributed to cable if it actually serves a home, not if it is simply available to it ("homes passed"), while the 39 percent cap is based on broadcast homes "passed."

NAB argues that a decades-old rule calculated on presumed audience when that audience has been splintered by cable and satellite and phone company and internet video is an anachronism and does not address the competitive realities of the marketplace.

"In todays fragmented video market where viewers easily access hundreds of channels and thousands of programs, and where advertisers have myriad options, the potential reach of a station or station group in the abstract says little about the competitively effective reach of the station group in the marketplace, the association told the FCC.

A politically, and philosophically, divided FCC voted last December to launch the review of the 39 percent broadcast audience reach cap.

[FCC Seeks Comment on National Reach Cap]

TV station group owners cannot own stations that reach more than 39 percent of the nation, with waivers in some circumstances.

The FCC is looking at whether it can modify the cap, which was created by Congress, and if so, whether it should be lowered or, more likely under this FCC, raised or eliminated altogether given the increasing programing and technological options for accessing content.

It also asks whether to retain the UHF discount, which allows station groups to count only half their UHF station audience toward that cap and if not, should the cap be adjusted.

"We need to take a holistic look at the national cap rule, including the UHF discount," chairman Ajit Pai said following the Dec. 14, 2017, vote. "The marketplace has changed considerably due to the explosion of video programming options and various technological advances that have occurred since the cap was last considered in 2004. So we need to examine whether our rules should change accordingly. That's an important discussion that will be informed by the facts in the record not anything else."

The item drew no tentative conclusions. Chairman Pai said the review was all about developing a record and could not say when any action would be taken.

The vote was 3-2, with the Democrats strongly opposing. But at least one Republican also had issues with the FCCs authority to take action.

Commissioner Michael ORielly said he still didnt think the FCC had the authority to modify the congressionally mandated cap he is a former congressional staffer who worked on the legislation. He said Congress would need to weigh in ultimately, but he supported the FCC review since that congressional review did not look like it was forthcoming.

The FCC under Pai voted to reinstate the UHF discount last year, with the signal that its elimination was tied to the cap review. That discount dates from the analog days when UHF stations were less desirable signals than VHF, which is the reverse in digital TV.

More than a decade ago the FCC, under a Republican chairman, wanted to raise the cap from 35 percent to 45 percent, but Congress stepped in to set it at 39 percent. The broadcast networks favored the 45 percent figure. But many station groups feared network-owned station groups getting bigger would give them even more power over affiliates. The issue so divided broadcasters that NBC, CBS and finally ABC quit the National Association of Broadcasters because NAB wouldnt support the higher limit. They all eventually returned to the fold after Congress split the difference.

This story was originally published on TVTs sister publication B&C.
LINK: https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/nab-pitches-50-percent-uhf-vhf-disco...
See more stories from tvtechnology

More from TV Technology

28/03/2024

ENCO to Add AI News Anchor to Qimera Virtual Production Set

NOVI, Mich. During the 2024 NAB Show, ENCO will be showcasing an AI-driven virtual anchor delivering live news from a realistic 3D virtual news set....

28/03/2024

Johan de Nysschen Named President and CEO of ARRI Americas

MUNICH ARRI has announced that Johan de Nysschen has been put in charge of the ARRI Americas team as president and CEO ARRI Americas Inc....

28/03/2024

Fubo Inks Carriage Deal with YES Network

NEW YORK The YES Network and FuboTV have reached a multi-year carriage agreement that will allow Fubo to launch YES in its Pro base channel plan in time for YES...

28/03/2024

Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB 2024

PARIS Dalet has announced that during its 2024 NAB showcase (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows t...

28/03/2024

Sinclair Selects Embrace as Its Media Orchestration Engine

PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...

28/03/2024

Nielsen and Circle City Broadcasting Renew Local TV Measurement Deal

NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...

28/03/2024

JVC to Demo Its First Ever 40x Zoom PTZ Camera Series at 2024 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....

28/03/2024

Brightcove Launches Cloud Playout 2.0

BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...

28/03/2024

NBC Sports Chicago to Air First-Ever Animated Real-Time Local Sports Telecast

The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....

27/03/2024

Bitmovin to Show Live Encoder Running on Akamai Cloud at NAB Show

DENVER Bitmovin has launched its Live Encoder running on the Akamai Cloud Computing, optimizing live streaming and reducing total streaming costs by up to 90%, ...

27/03/2024

Hulu Launches on Disney+

BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has officially launched Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. in a move that brings together the extensive Disney+ and Hulu librar...

27/03/2024

WJLA Studio A Revamp Features Brightline Lighting

WASHINGTON D.C. WJLA, Sinclair Broadcast Group's flagship TV station in the nation's capital, has revamped its Studio A news studio with lighting soluti...

27/03/2024

NCAA: March Madness Sees Strong Audience Growth

The NCAA has released figures showing that the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship both saw...

27/03/2024

NAB Show Exhibitor Insight Matrox Video

TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show? TVT: What will be your most important product news? TVT: Ho...

27/03/2024

Planetcast Expands OTT Solutions with Acquisition of Switch Media

SYDNEY & DELHI Planetcast Media Services, a leading media technology services provider in India and Southeast Asia, has acquired one of its key partners, Switch...

27/03/2024

Sony Pictures Expands its FAST Business

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced plans to launch its portfolio of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels on LG Channels, Samsung...

27/03/2024

NFL Announces Two Exclusive Streaming Games for 2024 Season

More NFL games will be moving exclusively to streaming in the upcoming 2024 season, with the NFL announcing that both Peacock and Prime Video will have exclusiv...

27/03/2024

Adobe Announces Generative AI Solutions for Content Supply Chain

LAS VEGAS As part of the Adobe Summit, Adobe has announced a number of major product developments that will help companies optimize their entire content supply ...

26/03/2024

Mediacom Launches Xumo Stream Box

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y. Mediacom Communications is now making the Xumo Stream Box available to its Xtream Internet customers at no additional monthly cost....

26/03/2024

Prime Focus Technologies To Feature Latest CLEAR AI Innovations At NAB Show

LOS ANGELES AI-powered Media and Entertainment (M&E) technology solutions provider Prime Focus Technologies (PFT) will unveil its CLEAR AI innovations focused o...

26/03/2024

Cox Media Group Promotes Marian Pittman To President of Content & WSB-TV

ATLANTA Cox Media Group (CMG) has announced that Marian Pittman will expand her responsibilities to include leading WSB-TV. Pittman, who currently leads CMG'...

26/03/2024

Comcast's AudienceXpress and iSpot Announce New Data Collaborations

NEW YORK Comcast'sAudienceXpress has announced a new series of data collaborations with iSpot that the companies said will provide the industry with new dat...

26/03/2024

NAB Show: Clear-Com to Showcase Innovative Communications Solutions

ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has announced plans to highlight a range of cutting-edge products during the 2024 NAB Show at Booth C6007 that emphasize the companys ...

26/03/2024

Study: U.S. OTT Revenue to Grow 17% to $69B in 2024

New studies from Convergence Research Group highlight the ongoing massive shifts to OTT and streaming content with a prediction that U.S. OTT subscription reven...

26/03/2024

Soledad O'Brien to Receive 2024 Insight Award from LABF at NAB Show

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has announced that Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, author and philanthropist Soledad O&#...

26/03/2024

TCL Adds the NFL Channel to TCLtv+ Streaming Service

IRVINE, Calif. TCL has announced an expansion of its partnership with the NFL that will see the NFL FAST channel and AVOD programs added to its streaming servic...

25/03/2024

Fox Sports Prepares For UFL, A League Defined By Technology'

LOS ANGELES Technology and sports have gone hand-in-hand at least since KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast the first live sporting event a boxing match more than 100 ...

25/03/2024

AI Takes Center Stage at 2024 NAB Show

WASHINGTON, D.C. As artificial intelligence reshapes the broadcast, media and entertainment industries, organizers say that the 2024 NAB Show will be at the epi...

25/03/2024

CDC Upgrades to Ikegami UHK-X700 4K HDR Cameras

MAHWAH, N.J. Ikegami has announced that the U.S. national public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), has upgraded the technical f...

25/03/2024

Super Bowl LVII Netted 3.4M Sign Ups for Paramount+

New research data from Antenna not only reaffirms the power of NFL games to boost subscription rates for streaming services. It also suggests that a significant...

25/03/2024

Court Dismisses DirecTV Antitrust Lawsuit against Nexstar

NEW YORK A federal court has dismissed a DirecTV lawsuit against Nexstar Media Group Inc., Mission Broadcasting, Inc., and White Knight Broadcasting, Inc. alleg...

25/03/2024

Sinclair Partners With GTG Network To Offer Online Games

NEW YORK CITY GTG Network and Sinclair Broadcast Group are partnering on Game Center, a new direct-to-consumer platform offering personalized and interactive fa...

25/03/2024

NBC Networks Olympics Opening Ceremony Coverage to Make IMAX Debut

STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK The NBC television network has announced that it will extend its live coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony to IMAX ...

25/03/2024

Warner Bros. Discovery to Launch Max in Europe Beginning May 21

NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that its streaming service Max, will see its first European launches beginning May 21....

25/03/2024

Telestream to Focus on Cloud, AI at 2024 NAB Show

NEVADA CITY, Calif. At NAB Show 2024 in West Hall (#W1501), Telestream will introduce a host of new AI-powered suite of media processing tools engineered to opt...

25/03/2024

Survey: CTV Is Most Effective Digital Ad Channel

PASADENA, Calif. A new survey of marketers has found that advertisers view CTV advertising is the most effective digital channel in their media mix and that 23....

25/03/2024

Sony's Ci Media Cloud Launches New Advanced Watermark Security Package

Sony has announced that it's Ci Media Cloud has launched a new Advanced Watermark Security package that is designed to protect high-value content. The offer...

25/03/2024

Matrox Video NAB Show Lineup Drives Implementation of Efficient Media Workflows

MONTREAL Matrox Video has announced that during the 2024 NAB Show it will be providing product demos and featuring customer stories that illustrate how the comp...

23/03/2024

Day 1 March Madness Viewing for Men's Tournament up YoY to 21.3M

New data from AdImpact indicates that day 1 of the NCAA Men's Tournament saw increased viewership with audiences peaking at approximately 21.3 million viewe...

22/03/2024

Kidstream Joins Curiositys Smart Bundle

SILVER SPRING, Md. Kidstream, a streaming provider of high-profile children's shows, has become the latest streaming service to join Curiosity's Smart B...

21/03/2024

Cinegy To Show New Multiviewer Software Version At NAB Show

MUNICH Cinegy has announced that it will feature the latest version of its software-based Cinegy Multiviewer at the 2024 NAB Show, April 13-17, in Las Vegas....

21/03/2024

Sinclair Adds Tennis Channel's T2 to NextGen TV Broadcasts

HUNT VALLEY, Md. Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that it will carry Tennis Channel's T2 as a free, streaming, virtual channel in all of its markets n...

20/03/2024

Accedo Launches OTT Video Managed Services Offering

STOCKHOLM Global video solutions provider Accedo has launched a dedicated OTT Video Managed Services offering that it will be showing during the 2024 NAB Show....

20/03/2024

NAB Show Exhibitor InsightZixi

TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show?...

20/03/2024

Grass Valley Launches New AMPP Maverik X Switcher/Mixer

MONTREAL Grass Valley released its new Maverik X software-based switcher, powered by AMPP and announced plans to show it at the 2024 NAB Show....

19/03/2024

NAB Show 2024 to Spotlight the Promise of AI for Media

Science fiction books and films have predicted it for years, but now it is actually upon us. Artificial Intelligence is here, and it is being used in the televi...

18/03/2024

DirecTV to Allow Subscribers to Opt Out of Local Stations

DirecTV announced a new feature over the weekend that will allow its subscribers to opt out of their local stations in return for a discount. Customers who ch...

16/03/2024

NAB Show: Witbe to Demo Expanded Video Testing and Monitoring Suite

Witbe has announced that it will showcase its powerful automated testing and proactive monitoring technology at the 2024 NAB Show....

15/03/2024

FCC Increases Broadband Speed Benchmark to 100 Mbps

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission has voted to raise its baseline definition of broadband speeds. The FCC adopted the higher speeds as part...

15/03/2024

ATSC Moves To Add VVC Compression To 3.0 Standard

WASHINGTON D.C. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is working on adding the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) format as an option to High Efficiency Vi...