Washington, D.C. – At the 2018 NAB Show, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance and the Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA, a trade association that represents Korean broadcasters, equipment manufacturers and researchers) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that pledges the three organizations’ efforts to work collaboratively on Next Generation TV development using the ATSC 3.0 standard, with particular emphasis on advanced emergency alerting efforts.
Television broadcasters in the Republic of Korea (RoK) began transmissions using the ATSC 3.0 standard in May 2017. The MoU is intended to align Korean and U.S. efforts in deploying and testing ATSC 3.0 services, and harmonize the two countries’ usage of the new standard’s advanced capabilities in emergency alerting for next-generation TV.
The MoU announces the formation of a joint committee among the three organizations, which will develop a plan to share information on ATSC 3.0-related activities, and facilitate joint participation in ATSC 3.0-related events across the two countries.
NAB and RAPA also agree in the MoU to mutually promote the ATSC 3.0 standard, and to share use cases, service scenarios and test results of system deployments in the new format. In addition, the MoU affirms AWARN and RAPA’s agreement to develop and execute plans for a global alliance on emergency alerting in next-generation TV using ATSC 3.0. The groups further agree to provide opportunities for testing and to create best practices for emergency alerting in the U.S. and the RoK. The best practices will be based on available social science research and input from emergency managers in both countries.
The MoU will be signed during a press conference to be held at 3 p.m. on April 9, 2018 – the first day of NAB Show’s exhibits – at Futures Park, powered by PILOT, in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (in the Futures Park Lounge, Booth N1534FP). The 2018 Futures Park will also feature exhibits by NAB’s PILOT innovation initiative, the AWARN Alliance, ATSC, and the RAPA-sponsored Korea UHD On Air pavilion, each of which will include demonstrations and information on advanced emergency alerting and other ATSC 3.0 capabilities.
About NAB Show
NAB Show, held April 22-27, 2017 in Las Vegas, is the world's largest convention encompassing The M.E.T. Effect, the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. With 103,000 attendees from 166 countries and 1,700+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is where global visionaries convene to bring content to life in new and exciting ways. For complete details, visit www.nabshow.com.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.