NAB Launching ATSC 3.0 Newsroom Initiative

NAB is launching a three-year initiative that will work with TV stations and broadcast groups to create ATSC 3.0-based projects for local newsrooms, said a release Wednesday. Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the project -- called the NextGen TV News Technology Lab -- will provide resources and support for stations to work on using 3.0 with emergency alerting, news coverage, sports broadcasting and other applications. “As the broadcast industry deploys NextGen TV, it is essential that newsrooms are empowered to fully leverage this technology to enhance the essential services they provide to viewers,” NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny said in the release. The program runs through October 2028, a period that coincides with NAB’s proposal for broadcasters to cease transmitting ATSC 1.0.