Agenda

Sam Matheny, NAB

Technology transitions can take many shapes and forms, and some would say we are always in a state of transition. This is true for radio and television broadcasters, and this presentation will focus on tectonic trends that are impacting our business and some specific ways our industry is responding. For radio broadcasters, there is an evolving automotive landscape with great opportunities for engaging listeners in new ways with metadata and connectivity, as well as threats to longstanding services such as AM radio. This talk will explore the digital and legislative realities and options. Television broadcasters in the U.S. have filed a petition with the FCC seeking a full transition to ATSC 3.0 with a defined 5-year timeframe. This talk will lay out what has been requested, how it might be implemented, and the benefits to consumers, plus an innovative new service that can help ensure our economic and national security, the Broadcast Positioning SystemTM (BPSTM).

Jing Zhou, Harmonic

Discover how XOS Advanced Media Processor, the market-dominant ATSC1/ATSC3 encoder, redefines the traditional "Channel-in-a-Box" concept by seamlessly integrating essential broadcast functionalities-automation, playout, encoding, packaging, PSIP Fetch, AI captioning, Nielsen watermarking, Dolby Upmix, and support for ATSC1/ATSC3/OTT/Split Signal-all within a single, compact 1RU COTS platform-an innovation unmatched in the industry.

Nicole Starrett, Dielectic

Emerging advancements in FM broadcast antenna technology will provide broadband performance while eliminating technical limitations of previous designs such as high wind load, poor circularity, narrow band components, and power limiting geometry. This presentation will propose three key innovations poised to shape the future of FM broadcasting: the Ring 360, RingMaster™, and DCPC antennas. The Ring 360 antenna offers improved circularity and lower wind load over master panel systems while utilizing proven high power antenna bays. The RingMaster™ will provide a compact, broadband-capable solution, maintaining uniform gain and low VSWR compared to standard antenna layouts. Furthermore, the DCPC antenna introduces a new panel concept with increased broadband capability and power handling while maintaining azimuth performance across the band. Collectively, these technologies will redefine FM transmission capabilities, offering scalable, efficient, and high-performance solutions for the broadcasting landscape of tomorrow.

Robin Hérin, ATEME
Mike Schmidt, Heartland Video Systems

Historically, ATSC has been used as a medium to transmit information to the local communities. The majority of viewers of OTA content can be divided in two categories: The cord-cutters, looking to cut cost but still have access to information, and the local communities, who are looking for content created for them by the local station. Through the use of LLMs (Large Language Models), we can now add additional subtitling tracks by doing speech-to-text translations that would correspond to the needs of the local communities in the area of an ATSC 3.0 station. We will present our tests performed at a local ATSC station, looking into the results along with the (legal and technical) challenges of adding additional subtitling languages.

Chris Tarr, Magnum Media

On the morning after an ice storm, the 300' guyed steel tower tor WRDB in Reedsburg fell to the ground. A herculean effort took place to get the station back on the air, then the time came to investigate a replacement. A fiberglass pole turned out to be the answer.

Karl Lahm, Broadcast Transmission Services

Any tilting of the tower's antenna aperture, whether by guy wire mis-tensioning, tower deterioration, or loading changes, has the potential to affect the coverage and service of stations in the VHF and UHF bands. This presentation will take a detailed look at how any unintended tilting of the antenna aperture of a tower might impact coverage and service. It will begin with a review of the underlying physics, then consider several different real-world scenarios.

Markus Schumann, Telestream

As broadcasters transition into the world of High Dynamic Range (HDR), they face a complex landscape of competing standards, legacy infrastructure, and evolving viewer expectations. This presentation explores the multifaceted challenges of working with multiple HDR formats in live and post-production broadcast environments. Key topics include managing simultaneous HDR and SDR deliveries, handling wide color gamuts, and the intricacies of tone mapping and real-time HDR-to-SDR conversion-particularly in live workflows. -- We'll also address compatibility issues with legacy equipment, the visual impact of HDR on graphics and overlays, and emerging solutions such as AI-based upscaling and SDR-to-HDR conversion. Designed for broadcast engineers and managers, this session will offer practical insights into maintaining visual fidelity and operational efficiency in hybrid HDR/SDR pipelines.

Jeff Welton, Nautel
We put transmitters in uninsulated cinderblock buildings at the base of several hundred foot (or taller) lightning rods, at the extreme end of the AC line from the power company. This session will talk about hardening the site - looking at various aspects of infrastructure including grounding, cooling, physical security, and maintaining data integrity. With almost 35 years of visits to hundreds of transmitter sites, Jeff says, "I never say I've seen it all, as that's frequently taken as a challenge." There will be photos of things that could be improved, as well as things being done right, as we look at ways to continually get the best performance from our equipment without breaking the budget.

Robin Hérin, ATEME
Mike Schmidt, Heartland Video Systems

As the local broadcasters keep rolling out ATSC 3.0 throughout the U.S., many are still bound by the limitations of their production facility (too expensive to upgrade), of their distribution contracts (affiliate station will only receive a feed in 720p60) or even the content itself (original content was captured in HD with 5.1 audio). In this presentation, we will discuss the tools available TODAY for broadcasters to improve the experience of their viewers by using HDR conversions, by leveraging dynamic metadata generation in ST2094, by upmixing the audio from 5.1 to 5.1.4 and, finally, by improving the efficiency of their ATSC 3.0 PLPs with Statistical Multiplexing.

Rusty Mooney, Sinclair

A brief discussion of transmission line characteristic impedance and compatibility, directional couplers, RF filters, and recommended measurements and monitoring.

Paul Jacobs, Jacobs Media

While it's easy to focus on challenges broadcasters face, the industry remains as vibrant and relevant as ever. Paul Jacobs will share optimism about the future and tell you how to make it happen.

David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

With the new administration in Washington, saying that there has been lots of change in Federal regulation and how it affects broadcasters, would be an understatement. David Oxenford of the Wilkinson Barker Knauer law firm will try to untangle what all of the changes mean for broadcasters on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. We'll talk about reform of the broadcast ownership rules, what's next for the ATSC 3.0 roll-out, what we can expect from Delete Delete Delete, the latest on AM in cars, questions about the FCC's ability to issue fines for violations of its rules, changes in EAS regulation, changes in environmental policies affecting tower construction, and as many other topics as we can fit into this session on the state of broadcast regulation in Washington DC.

Chris Phillips, Sennheiser Electronic Corp.

This session will review the new WMAS FCC approval, and Sennheiser's specific implementation of Wireless Multi-channel Audio System protocol into Spectera, the world's first 32x32 channel bi-directional wireless system.

Roger Strand, Educational Communications Board

Learn about electrical hazards-shock and arc flash. Topics include mitigation-current limiting, arc flash engineering, NFPA 70E PPE, working clearance, housekeeping, electrical service (main circuit breaker, fusible disconnect, and maintenance), generators and transfer switches, labels, one line diagrams, inert gas, and toxic gas safety.

Paul Stewart, Summit Technology Group

Effective project planning is the foundation of successful studio and transmitter installations. This presentation outlines the critical steps required to design, budget, and execute broadcast facility projects with efficiency and reliability. From site selection and equipment procurement to system integration and regulatory compliance, a structured approach minimizes risks and ensures long-term operational success. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for coordinating stakeholders, managing timelines, and addressing technical challenges to deliver projects on time and within budget.