NextGen TV Comes to El Paso

By Tom Butts
published

Five new stations launch 3.0 broadcasts

El Paso
(Image credit: Britannica)

Five TV stations in El Paso, Texas, the nation’s 91st biggest TV market, have launched ATSC 3.0 broadcasts (aka “NextGen TV”)

The stations are:

  • KDBC-TV (CBS/Sinclair)
  • KFOX-TV (Fox/Sinclair)
  • KTDO-TV (Telemundo)
  • KTSM-TV (NBC/Nexstar)
  • KVIA-TV (ABC/News-Press & Gazette)

The launch in El Paso follows a decade of development and months of planning and preparation by the local stations. KFOX-TV, which is owned by Sinclair, has converted to ATSC 3.0 transmissions. KFOX-TV will broadcast its own programming, as well as the programming of the other participating stations, in NextGen TV format. All programming of all participating stations will continue to be available in the existing DTV format, which can be received on all modern television sets.

BitPath, which is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the five television stations.

NextGen TV, which combines traditional OTA broadcasting with IP, is now available in more than 70 U.S. markets. 

Tom Butts
Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.