Gray Television launches its first NextGen TV station

ATLANTA — Gray Television, Inc. (“Gray,” “we,” or “our”) (NYSE: GTN) launched our first NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) station when we lit up WNXG, our low power television station in Tallahassee, Florida, using the new transmission standard.

The new NextGen TV station simulcasts five programming services that Gray broadcasts in the market on its ATSC 1.0 full-power television stations WCTV and WFXU: CBS (HD), Me/My (HD), Circle (HD), ION (HD), and Justice (SD).

WNXG’s ability to broadcast four HD program streams and one standard definition stream with a very robust signal, and with ample spectrum remaining for additional program streams or other data services, significantly exceeds the current technical capabilities of the ATSC 1.0 transmission standard.

“We constructed this low power station with the NextGen TV transmission standard using off-the-shelf components and our own internal engineering and IT professionals in order to gain valuable first-hand knowledge about this exciting new technology,” explained Gray’s Chief Technology Officer David Burke. “Over the coming months, we will be putting WNXG through numerous experiments to test the capabilities and versatility of the NextGen TV standard to further understand how we might implement better services for our local viewers and advertisers.”

Gray’s launch of WNXG also helps us prepare better for 2021 when we begin to transition some of our other television stations to the NextGen TV standard in close cooperation with our fellow broadcasters in large markets.

“Although many people contributed to the success of this project, Gray must recognize the indispensable efforts of corporate engineers Michael Watson and Peter Gogas, WCTV engineers Chris Cantrell and Austin Pelnar, and corporate IT specialist John Jacob,” said Gray Co-CEO and President Pat LaPlatney.

“We also appreciate the resources and leadership provided by WCTV/WFXU General Manager Heather Peeples, our CTO David Burke, and our SVP Rob Folliard. What this team created with WNXG is remarkable in its own right and also creates a significant Gray Television milestone!” said Mr. LaPlatney.