NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four leading local
television stations in Norfolk,
VA, including WAVY-TV (NBC), WVBT and WNLO-CD (FOX), and
WTVZ-TV (MyNet), today became among the first in the nation to
begin broadcasting with NEXTGEN TV, a revolutionary new digital
broadcast technology. Based on the same fundamental technology as
the Internet, digital applications, and other web services, NEXTGEN
TV can support a wide range of features currently in development,
such as immersive audio and video (up to 4K), broadcasting to mobile devices, personalized
viewing tools, and advanced emergency alerts providing rich media
instead of simple text messages. NEXTGEN TV also allows full
integration with 5G and other broadband-delivered Internet
content.
Powered by ATSC 3.0, NEXTGEN TV is the most significant
broadcast technology upgrade ever. Today's launch in
the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News-Virginia Beach market is
one of the first in the country for NEXTGEN TV and follows a decade
of development of the new technology and months of planning and
preparation by the local stations. BitPath, which
is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning
process and coordinated efforts across the four television
stations. All four of the stations will be charter members of
BitPath's broadcast data network, which will launch in 2021.
The participating stations have cooperated to ensure that
current programming remains available to all viewers, regardless of
whether their television service is provided over-the air or by a
cable or satellite company. Antenna viewers can simply rescan their
TV sets to ensure full service. Rescan instructions are
available at: fcc.gov/rescan. Cable and satellite subscribers do
not need to take any action.
About WAVY-TV, WVBT, and WNLO-CD – Nexstar
WAVY-TV, WVBT, and WNLO-CD are leading television
stations in Norfolk, VA, owned and
operated by Nexstar Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar
Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST). Nexstar is the nation's largest
operator of local television stations and a leading diversified
media company that leverages localism to bring new services and
value to consumers and advertisers through its broadcasting,
digital and mobile media platforms. WAVY-TV is affiliated with the
NBC network, and WVBT and WNLO-CD are affiliated with the FOX
network.
About WTVZ-TV - Sinclair
WTVZ-TV is a leading Norfolk,
VA television station owned and operated by Sinclair
Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBGI), a diversified media company
and leading provider of local sports and news. WTVZ-TV is
affiliated with MyNetworkTV. Sinclair owns and/or operates 23
regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides
services to 190 television stations in 88 markets; is a leading
local news provider in the country; owns multiple national
networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major
broadcast networks. For more information, please visit
http://mytvz.com/ and sbgi.net.
About BitPath
BitPath is building the nation's first dedicated broadcast data
network to provide innovative new wireless services at a fraction
of the cost of cellular systems. Based in Arlington,
Virginia, the BitPath network will
launch in early 2021 covering at least seventeen cities, with
dozens covered by 2022. For more information
visit bitpath.com.
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SOURCE BitPath