For some, its time has come and gone, with television industry leaders convinced ATSC 3.0 transition for the nation’s broadcast stations is the best move forward and the solution for future-proofing a business under siege from “Big Tech.”
A legion of low-power TV station owners think otherwise, and have hedged their bets that — at least for LPTVs — 5G Broadcast technology can work in the U.S. On Tuesday, the second domestic station officially launched its 5G Broadcast operations.
Under an experimental license granted by the FCC, Tyche Media-owned WCRN-LD in Boston is now using an XGN Exciter that’s been integrated with an Anywave transmitter.
“This successful pairing demonstrates robust vendor interoperability within the 5G Broadcast ecosystem,” says the Local Power TV Broadcasters Association (LPTVBA), which shared the news in a Thursday announcement ahead of a LPTBA gathering linked to the 2026 NAB Show, which officially opens Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The pairing of the exciter and transmitter is based on 3GPP FeMBMS/5G NR Broadcast standards.
The LPTBA says full transition from ATSC 1.0 to 5G Broadcast was completed “in just 4 hours,” and with a price tag of $15,000. As discussed in the just-released Spring 2026 Radio + Television Business Report magazine, with printed copies available at the NAB Show Newsstand, this represents a much lower cost than that typically required for an ATSC 3.0 deployment.
Bringing 5G Broadcast to WCRN-LD follows the September 13, 2023 launch of Milachi Media-licensed WWOO-LD in Boston as the world’s first 24/7 5G Broadcast station.
At WWOD, the plans call for forthcoming testing of an ATSC 3.0 bootstrap signal operating alongside 5G Broadcast on the same facility.
At the NAB Show, swaying other operators to make the moves being done in Boston will likely be a key focal point of LPTBA discussions. Cost is a big factor, and the initiative “aims to provide LPTV stations with flexible, cost-effective pathways to adopt advanced broadcasting standards.”
Planned trials will also include “a simple and straightforward way to correct GPS positioning within centimeters at little to no additional cost, further expanding the public safety and utility applications of 5G Broadcast.”
That would not be the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) being championed by the National Association of Broadcasters, or efforts being led by Sinclair Inc. subsidiaries.
Who can now receive WCRN-LD’s 5G Broadcast signal? Using a software-defined radio (SDR) receiver, Boston-area ham radio enthusiasts and SDR users are among those with access.
The LPTVBA expects smartphones and Customer Premises Equipment (CPEs) capable of receiving 5G Broadcast will become commercially available in the third quarter of 2026.
“WCRN-LD’s successful launch, combined with WWOO-LD’s historic role as the world’s first 24/7 5G Broadcast station, shows just how accessible and powerful this technology has become for LPTV operators,” said Bill Christian, President of Milachi Media.
Christian, a pioneer of low-power television station build-outs, will appear as a panelist at Sunday’s LPTVBA 5G Broadcast panel. “With upcoming hybrid ATSC 3.0/5G testing and even centimeter-level GPS corrections at minimal cost, we’re opening exciting new doors for mobile delivery, emergency alerting, and public safety — all while keeping costs realistic for smaller broadcasters.”
