Much has been said about the uneven nature of NEXTGEN TV’s rollout in markets across the United States. And, in no market was that complex national quilt stitch more apparent than in New York.
Here, independent WMBC-19 moved ahead with the adoption of the new broadcast service as RFS in April 2022 installed equipment atop 1WTC in downtown Manhattan allowing the delivery of an ATSC 3.0-powered digital broadcast signal.
As WMBC prepared for its NEXTGEN TV launch, The WNET Group became the first operation in the nation’s No. 1 market to bring NEXTGEN TV to consumers capable of receiving it, with WLIW-21 launching a “lighthouse” in October 2023, with participation from NBCUniversal, CBS News & Stations, and the PBS Member stations in the market — but not five other highly watched local TV stations.
That gap has just been filled, thanks to a new NEXTGEN TV launch.