Week ending November 1, 2026 · 4-minute read
The LPTV Broadcasters Association wants low-power, Class A and translator stations excluded from any mandatory ATSC 3.0 transition or ATSC 1.0 shutdown.
The week in brief
LPTVBA asked the FCC to preserve transmission-standard choice for low-power, Class A and translator stations.
Brazilian trade reports said Gaispi approved a 910,000-family converter proposal for Anatel board review; ministry officials outlined pending TV 3.0 rules.
Brazil's EBC announced R$23 million [about US$4.2 million] for TV 3.0 infrastructure, with operation expected in July 2027.
ATSC published an account of a July interference-cancellation demonstration in Brazil.
LPTVBA asks FCC to leave smaller stations outside a mandate
The LPTV Broadcasters Association's October 29 letter, posted October 30, asks the FCC to exclude low-power, Class A and translator stations from mandatory ATSC 3.0 conversion or an ATSC 1.0 shutdown.
Responding to Sinclair's October 26 filing, the association says it supports full-power broadcasters pursuing a mandate for their own services. It wants smaller stations to retain their choice of an approved transmission standard, warning that conversion costs could force some operators to close and reduce local television options.
Class A stations are central to its objection. The association describes them as low-power services with additional regulatory obligations and protected service contours, and seeks their exemption alongside other low-power stations and translators. It argues that continued ATSC 1.0 service would preserve access for viewers using existing receivers.
Brazilian reports say converter plan clears Gaispi
Brazil's 5G-auction oversight group, Gaispi, approved a plan to provide TV 3.0 converters to 910,000 low-income families, Tele.Síntese and Teletime reported October 27. Both reports say the proposal requires approval by Anatel's governing board.
The R$1.28 billion [about US$235 million] base budget covers equipment, distribution and program operations in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District. The converters would let households receive the new television service on existing sets. A detailed procurement and delivery schedule remains to be presented.
Separately, SET's October 28 account of its Recife event reports that the Communications Ministry aims to publish essential TV 3.0 rules by year-end, citing director Tawfic Awwad Junior. Channel-assignment and virtual-channel rules were in final processing, while receiver certification and emergency-alert provisions remained under development.
EBC announces R$23 million [about US$4.2 million] for TV 3.0 infrastructure
Brazil's public broadcaster EBC said October 29 that it secured R$23 million [about US$4.2 million] through Anatel for TV 3.0 infrastructure. The allocation is separate from the household converter program.
EBC's plans include a media-asset-management system in Brasília, common-platform systems, data centers, servers and load balancing. It expects the infrastructure to be fully operational in July 2027.
ATSC describes July interference-cancellation demonstration
ATSC's October 26 account describes a demonstration led by Mackenzie Presbyterian University on July 8–10 in João Pessoa, Brazil. Participants reported decoding a desired broadcast signal 37 decibels below a stronger interfering signal on the same channel.
The setup combined interference cancellation with layered transmission: 20 dB of transmitter power difference and a further 17 dB from the layered signal configuration.
If the approach proves practical outside the lab, broadcasters could reuse a frequency across overlapping local coverage areas and deliver more geographically targeted content. ATSC identifies that combination as a way to get more use from existing spectrum.
Around ATSC 3.0
Interview: ATSC President Madeleine Noland explains broadcast-to-everything, or B2X, and bridge work for existing ATSC 3.0 networks. The conversation distinguishes B2X's separate radio transmission layer from the proposed bridge approach and discusses connections with mobile-network infrastructure.
Technical reading: Omar Ramadan's individual Internet-Draft proposes carrying MPEG Media Transport, used in broadcasting, over Media over QUIC, an emerging internet-media delivery framework. The October 28 revision describes ATSC 3.0 applications; it remains an individual proposal without IETF endorsement.
Event: La TV que se viene lists a November 5 session in Asunción on ATSC 3.0 television, presented by Javier Ruano at 09:30.
About ATSC Now
ATSC Now is a free weekly briefing on the policy, standards, receivers, deployments and business activity shaping ATSC 3.0.
Written by Mark Barrington and published by Barrington Technology. ATSC Now is an independent publication and is not affiliated with ATSC. All opinions are our own.