LAS VEGAS — Amid the hustle and bustle across the Las Vegas Convention Center and the posh Wynn and Encore casino resorts, media executives from radio and TV are seeking to gain wider exposure through various initiatives tied to the technology and advancements that have made the Consumer Electronics Show a must-attend for nearly 20 years.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sinclair Broadcast Group — the TV station owner that wasn’t able to merge with Tribune Broadcasting — is now pushing the envelope on bringing next-generation digital broadcast TV to the car, and in a big way.
Baltimore-based Sinclair and Korean partner SK Telecom have jointly inked a memorandum of understanding with Harman to jointly develop and commercialize digital broadcasting network-based automotive electronics technology — on a global scale.
Under the pre-agreement, announced at CES, the companies will collaborate to build an advanced automotive platform based on ATSC 3.0, the next-generation broadcasting technology standard.
This will enable drivers, as stated in a release distributed late Tuesday, “to experience in-vehicle HD terrestrial TV broadcasting, secure firmware updates, HD map updates and V2X certificate management via terrestrial digital broadcasting facilities operated by Sinclair throughout the United States.
Of course, with the autonomous car catching on, the 2030s could see individuals get in a vehicle, let a computer do the driving, and allow their eyeballs to be fixated on a TV station offering them Good Morning America or TODAY while commuting to work.
The technology will be deployed in other countries as local broadcast facilities become available at ATSC 3.0 is spread across the globe.
Sinclair, SK and Harmon plan to unveil their joint automotive platform and related equipment and services for the first time in Las Vegas, but at another large event — the 2019 NAB Show, held in early April.
Park Jung-ho, President and CEO of SK Telecom, said, “Mobility and media are core business areas that will undergo innovative changes in the 5G era. With Harman and Sinclair Broadcast Group, SK Telecom will target the mobility and media markets in the U.S. and expand into the global market.”
While Samsung and LG are familiar brands to most Americans, SK Telecom is known across Asia as the largest mobile operator in Korea by both revenue and number of subscribers. As of December 2017, the company holds around 50% of the market.
Harman President/CEO Dinesh Paliwal added, “Today’s pervasively connected cars are becoming just one more personalized mobile device that consume data to deliver a maximum safety and reliability and an optimized user experience. ATSC 3.0 will bring a high-value option for bulk data communication, which can supplement conventional 4G and 5G mobile data networks, We are pleased to work with two industry powerhouses in partnership to bring this powerful technology to the market.”
Sporting full facial hair, Sinclair President/CEO Chris Ripley said, “With this announcement, Sinclair is continuing to partner with market leaders to further develop next-gen broadcasting solutions. We are excited to be working with Harman and SK Telecom, two prominent international technology leaders, to progress ATSC 3.0 automotive solutions and experience. This collaboration focuses on developing key mobility enhancements of ATSC 3.0 as a potential value creator for Sinclair and other U.S. broadcasters.”
— Adam Jacobson, from Hollywood, with reports from CES 2019 in Las Vegas
