In 2024, Sinclair Inc. and America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) shared that the broadcast TV station owner that’s helping bring the ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV standard to life would provide carriage of APTS member stations for free in markets where Sinclair has deployed NEXTGEN Broadcast Service and a public television station has not.
The third launch under this arrangement has come to fruition.
PBS Reno has launched KNPB-VC, broadcasting on virtual channel 5-11.
This brings programming of PBS Reno’s main channel to a NEXTGEN TV environment.
Kurt Mische, President and CEO of PBS Reno, commented, “We are pleased to partner with our broadcast colleagues at Sinclair to make this innovative technology available in our region. Now, viewers throughout our 75,000 square mile coverage area will be able to utilize this new technology to enhance their viewing experience. This is yet another way PBS Reno is expanding our service to our region.”
Kate Riley, President and CEO of APTS, added, “We congratulate PBS Reno and Sinclair on this new virtual ATSC 3.0 channel. This partnership will deliver the NEXTGEN Broadcast Service to more public television viewers and enhance the local public television services that the Reno community relies on every day.”
Rob Weisbord, Sinclair’s Chief Operating Officer and President of Broadcast, also chimed in, noting, “We are excited to continue to work with our public broadcasting partners to demonstrate the power of NEXTGEN TV. Public and commercial broadcasters continue to work together to advance the deployment of this technology and better serve viewers.”
