Scott Wilkinson ... Reclaimed

Episode 1713 (18:40)

Scott Wilkinson

Scott joins Leo to talk about over the air television and concerns that the FCC will reclaim those broadcast frequencies, preventing people from watching TV with a conventional digital antenna. ATSC 1.0 is the standard that most people are watching on, and there is a new generation called ATSC 3.0 that we are transitioning to. As a result, the FCC is reclaiming that ATSC 1.0 spectrum to reallocate frequencies to another spectrum. As such, local broadcast stations have had to be rescanned by TVs in order to get the channel back.

Will IPTV replace over the air television (known as over the top - OTT)? Scott says that everyone is getting into the OTT business with new streaming services. But they all cost, whereas over the air TV is free and is much better HD quality.  ATSC 3.0 has added over the air IP features, enabling broadcasting of streaming and interactive content. Scott says there will also be regional warning data that can be sent as well, in areas that are subject to natural disasters.

Leo says that is the last gasp of broadcasters to remain relevant. Leo predicts that with only ten markets around the country and the requirement of a new receiver, ATSC 3.0 will be a flop.