Phoenix Model Market to add second transmission site and SFN broadcasts

Phoenix Model Market Partners Expanding Test Bed To Include A Second Transmission Site And Single Frequency Network Broadcasts

PHOENIX, AZ — A collaborative effort in Phoenix that involves a dozen broadcast stations will soon expand beyond a single Next-Gen TV transmission tower to include an additional station with a signal that will be enhanced through the use of a Single Frequency Network (SFN). As part of the Phoenix Model Market project, and with planning and design consultation from the National Association of Broadcasters, this this second station for Next-Gen TV will shortly be going on-the-air to help broadcasters evaluate the benefits of SFN transmissions.

The Phoenix Model Market’s first Next-Gen TV station is owned by Univision Communications and has been on-the-air for the past year carrying six separate Next-Gen TV broadcast streams through a partnership that includes Pearl TV member stations, NBC Universal, Fox Television Stations, and Univision. Many of the features and capabilities of the ATSC 3.0 standard are being tested through the initial transmitter. The addition of a Single Frequency Network-enabled station will now give the market multiple testing facilities and open the door for additional testing.

Single Frequency Network transmissions allow broadcasters to improve signal power and reach while offering signals that can be easily viewed in a moving vehicle or made more robust for reception inside buildings. A Single Frequency Network uses multiple transmitters throughout the market to improve signal levels as well as to fill in areas in the Phoenix market that have been hard to reach with an over-the-air signal in the past. This advanced technology is enabled in the new ATSC 3.0 broadcasting standard now being tested in Phoenix.

“The SFN tower site and antenna work is being provided by American Tower, and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are planned to begin soon with Comark and GatesAir Single Frequency Network transmitters that will allow us to test drive the full capabilities of Next-Gen TV to see how equipment operates in a real-world environment,” said Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV. Pearl other Phoenix Model Market broadcasters will build out the new SFN system.