Ridgefield Park, N.J., June 17, 2015 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (“Samsung”), the leader in TV sales for nine consecutive years, today announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pearl TV, a partnership of nine leading TV broadcast companies, and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (“Sinclair”) with combined reach over 88 million TV households throughout the U.S. Samsung, Pearl TV and Sinclair will work collaboratively to support the development and the implementation of the new Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 standard.
The agreement is a significant step forward to speed the implementation of the new broadcast and 4K Ultra High Definition TV (UHD TV) standard as it brings together the world’s leader in home entertainment (Samsung) alongside major American broadcasters that together reach tens of millions of Americans each day.
“Samsung is developing truly amazing innovations in home entertainment,” said John Godfrey, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Samsung Electronics America. “But for consumers in America to benefit fully from these innovations in unparalleled picture quality, wireless portability, and functionality, we need a new standard for the Next Generation of Broadcast UHD TV. ATSC is making great progress in developing the technical standard. It is now time for the industry to step forward with technical and consumer testing and other collaboration to speed the implementation of the new standard. We are pleased to announce this Memorandum of Understanding with Pearl TV and Sinclair to help develop and speed the standard’s implementation.”
“The transition to a broadcast platform that is based on Internet Protocol technology opens new avenues of service for broadcasters and exciting new choices for viewers of free over-the-air television. The new capabilities of ATSC 3.0 will enhance the existing consumer experience and open doors to new services from local broadcasters. UHD TV broadcasting is one such benefit, and viewers will also enjoy an enhanced experience in the home and on the go and more services from local stations which are the bedrock of many communities. Our investors and their stations look forward to developing these enhancements for the benefit of our viewers throughout the country” said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV.
“The broadcast industry is in a unique position to usher in a new era of television. Sinclair has been leading the charge to ensure that broadcasters have the technological capabilities to deliver the services that consumers and our advertising partners demand. The new standard will provide a reliable IP data distribution platform, allowing us to build off of our core business, multiply the value it brings to existing partners, and open partnering opportunities in new video/data markets,” stated Mark Aitken, Vice President of Advanced Technology for Sinclair.
Together Samsung, Pearl TV and Sinclair (the “Parties”) have committed in this MOU to work together over the next 18 months. Cooperatively the Parties will perform technical, field, and consumer testing and other collaboration to support the implementation of the evolving next–generation broadcast standard. In addition to testing, the Parties will research ways to enhance reception and to deliver new, immersive services such as UHD TV, High Dynamic Range, portable reception, interactivity, targeted advertising, and 21:9 ultra-wide content. They will also focus on defining product concepts and technologies that enhance consumer interest and support infrastructure requirements. Finally, the Parties will work to demonstrate to the public the opportunities and potential benefits supported by the evolving ATSC 3.0 Standard.
Together, the companies will collaborate with each other by using their significant respective resources and expertise to support the implementation of the ATSC 3.0 Standard.
Pearl Mobile DTV Company, LLC
Pearl TV is a partnership of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Its membership, comprising 170 network-affiliated TV stations, consists of nine of the largest broadcast companies in America including: Cox Media Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, Gannett Co. Inc., Graham Media Group, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Schurz Communications and Raycom Media. Together, the Pearl TV companies reach 111 million households representing 63% of the U.S. population and serve 43 of the top 50 U.S. markets. Pearl TV is directly involved in the process to adopt and implement the next generation broadcast television transmission standard in the U.S. Please visit www.pearltv.com
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is the largest and one of the most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 162 television stations in 79 markets, and with affiliations with ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, MyTV, NBC, Azteca, Telemundo, and Univision. Sinclair is a leading advocate for the adoption of the Next Generation Broadcast Television transmission standard in the United States. Sinclair is working with its joint venture technology partner ONE Media, a significant contributor to the ATSC 3.0 process, and broadcasters to define cutting-edge broadcast technologies. Sinclair is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Sinclair regularly uses its website as a key source of company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net
About Samsung Electronics America
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, mobile products and wearables, wireless infrastructure, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brand. To learn more, please visit www.samsung.com
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 307,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com
Media Contacts
Samsung: Megan Pollock m.pollock@sea.samsung.com, (202) 379-6802
Pearl TV: Dave Arland, dave@arlandcom.com, (317) 701-0084
Sinclair Broadcast Group: Mark Aitken, maitken@sbgtv.com, (410)568-1500
###