Technology360

This week’s readings for #pubmedia, June 4, 2017

It’s been busy, so this is a two-week compilation of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  Because it’s been two weeks, I’ve tried to be a bit more selective than normal.  --Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• HbbTV for TV operators.  Castoola (promo)
• South Korean broadcasters ready to launch ATSC 3.0 (actually, they did 5/31).  TVTechnology
• Univision joins Sinclair/Nexstar 3.0 group.  TVNewsCheck  …and… see my related blog post from 5/21
• Completing the ATSC 3.0 skyscraper.  ATSC
• How public broadcasters are lagging behind the innovation curve of Next Gen TV.  John Lawson in Current
• must read  ATSC examines 3.0 progress, views future.  TVTechnology
• must have pdf for your CTO  ATSC 3.0 Transition and Deployment Guide, v. 2 now available.  GatesAir, et al.
• Road to FCC 3.0 order could be bumpy.  TVNewsCheck
• Sinclair offers 1 million free ATSC 3.0 chips to phone makers.  FierceCable  …and… TVNewsCheck  …but…  ATSC 3.0 chips in the iPhone and other smartphones? Don’t hold your breath.  FierceCable (from 2/3/17)
• Next-gen TV promises immersive, personalized audio.  TVTechnology
• Fox makes HD services available via HbbTV in Hungary.  Digital TV Europe

Cable/MVPD/Cord-Cutting

• Cord-cutting explodes.  Axios
• Comcast quietly deploys 4K set-top.  FierceCable

Consumer Electronics

• Got an antenna and tuner?  You can now stream live TV to your devices with Plex.  Ars Technica
• Report: U.S. households own average of seven screens.  TVTechnology
• The disappearing computer [Walt Mossberg’s last column].  The Verge
• HDR to drive 4K TV through to 2022.  Rapid TV News
• Comcast quietly deploys 4K set-top.  FierceCable

Digital Video/OTT

• must read  Netflix to spend $6 billion on original content in 2017.  Rapid TV News
• Mobile internet to account for a quarter of media consumption.  Rapid TV News
• Research: Interest in video downloading is strong, but awareness lags.  Video Nuze
• must read  Connected TV and smartphone the focus of video usage growth.  nScreenMedia

Radio/Podcasting

• Why radio broadcasters should joint the podcast movement.  Jacobs Media Strategies
• must read  Survey: Many podcast listeners are switching away from radio.  Radio and Internet News

Social Media

• Facebook ramps up original video push with slew of deals.  Rapid TV News

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

• Harnessing the potential of ‘unlicensed [TV] spectrum to power connectivity.  New America Weekly
• WGBH, others tell FCC to allow post-auction license transferability.  Broadcasting & Cable
• FCC “incentive auction” marks progress and pitfalls towards freeing wireless spectrum.  Thomas Hazlett in Brookings
• LPTVs zero in on spectrum auction’s ‘Phase Zero.’  Broadcasting & Cable

Strategy/Management/Business

• Digital ad spend to eclipse TV this year.  Rapid TV News  …but…  Forrester says it’s end times for digital and display advertising.  The Drum
• Sinclair poised to become major syndie force.  TVNewsCheck
• must scan (& read if you can)  Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2017 report (355 pages).  Kleiner Perkins  …and…  All the slides, plus analysis.  Recode  …and… plus highlights.  Quartz
• must read  Turning membership upside-down: An experiment from a nonprofit news site.  Nonprofit Quarterly
• A broadcaster’s guide to Washington issues.  David Oxenford and David O’Connor in TVNewsCheck

Television

• must read  Nielsen: TV still dominates viewing platforms.  Rapid TV News

Wireless/Broadband

• MoffettNathanson upgrades AT&T, but still skeptical about wireless long-term.  FierceWireless
• Digital gap between rural and nonrural America persists.  Pew Research

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, 13 May 2017

Another collection of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  --Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• must read  Sinclair + Tribune = transformative force.  Harry Jessell in TVNewsCheck
• must read  Sinclair Goals: U.S. reach, mobile users, 3.0.  TVNewsCheck
• ATSC 3.0 local simulcasting approach debated.  TVTechnology  …and…  Noncommercial TV to FCC: We don’t need ATSC 1.0/3.0 simulcast mandate.  Broadcasting & Cable
• Internet of Things is transforming industries you would never think of.  Greg Satell in Digital Tonto
• “ATSC 3.0 and The Future of Broadcasting.”  WideOrbit report [pdf] via TVB  [Note: Report based on small-response online survey of television traffic, engineering and operations execs; 101 responses of 1,583 surveyed.]
• Broadcasters spell out 3.0 recommendations.  TVNewsCheck

Broadband

• Internet to support Super Bowl sized audiences by 2022?  nScreenMedia

Cable/Pay-TV/MVPD/Cord-Cutting

• Pay-TV bleeds subs in worst quarter ever.  Rapid TV News
• must read  Broadcast TV’s role in skinny bundles bolstered by networks’ affiliate deals.  Video Nuze

Consumer Electronics

• Streaming-enabled TVs reach mainstream in U.S.  Rapid TV News
• More than half of cord-cutters cancel legacy service in the last two years.  Rapid TV News

Digital Video/OTT

• The new Hulu looks a lot like the future of TV.  Wall Street Journal [subscription required]
• SVOD dominant U.S. home entertainment medium.  nScreenMedia

Journalism

• The Facebook rescue that wasn’t.  Columbia Journalism Review
• Now profitable, Patch wants to be a platform for other local news outlets.  Digiday
• How media companies can pivot without losing their reason to exist.  The Media Briefing

Repack/Incentive Auction/Spectrum

• FCC outlines next repack steps for LPTVs and translators.  Broadcasting & Cable

Social Media

• One chart proves Facebook is mobile first.  Business Insider
• The Facebook rescue that wasn’t.  Columbia Journalism Review
• The rise and rise of social video advertising.  nScreenMedia

Strategy/Management/Business

• Standards and practices meet the reality of live streaming.  TVTechnology
• Pay attention to movies released on streaming platforms.  New Yorker

Television

• must read  Sinclair + Tribune = transformative force.  Harry Jessell in TVNewsCheck  …and…  Sinclair-Tribune deal is huge bet on future of broadcasting.  MediaPost
• Most Americans can get internet on their TV, but they’re still mostly watching plain old TV.  recode
• must read  A world awash in video – part 2.  Video Nuze [part 1 from 2007]
• Television is dead. Long live video.  The Media Briefing

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, March 26, 2017

After two-plus weeks in Scotland and Cyprus without a lot of time to read, this is the first collection of selected links since March 8th from my @haarsager Twitter feed.

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• ATSC 3.0: Cord cutter’s dream or tiered internet nightmare?  Audioholics

Cable/OTT/MVPD/Pay-TV

• Comcast lays groundwork for skinny TV service.  Rapid TV News
• Comcast delays 4K rollout due to HDR issues, lagging behind OTT and OTA.  CEPro
• A look at the internet TV bundle battle for pole position.  Variety
• US TV subscribers get twitchy as service-switching, cord-cutting continue apace.  Rapid TV News
• must read  Research: Pay-TV’s high cost is creating huge industry vulnerability.  Video Nuze

Digital Video/VoD/Mobile

• 2016 a ‘pivotal’ year for premium video consumption.  Rapid TV News
• must read  Mobile reigns supreme for video viewing.  Rapid TV News
• must read  Nielsen: Connected TV devices’ penetration continues to increase.  Video Nuze

Radio/Podcasting/Digital Audio

• Four lessons I learned on creating podcasts as managing editor of NPR One.  NPR

Social Media

• Challenge: Monetizing Facebook Live.  TVNewsCheck
• must read  Bypassing the broadcasters: TV in the social age.  TVTechnology

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

• NAB wants changes to post-repack plan.  TVNewsCheck
• FCC official: TVs could use NAB Show to help coordinate repack.  Broadcasting & Cable
• O’Rielly: FCC could hold another TV incentive auction within 10 years.  Politico

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, Feb. 5, 2017

Here’s another group of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed posted in the past week or so.  --Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• must read  FCC chairman Pai moves to jumpstart ATSC 3.0 rollout.  Multichannel News  …and… FCC’s draft NPRM on ATSC 3.0/next gen TV.  FCC [pdf]
• FCC takes first big step toward adopting 3.0.  TVNewsCheck  …and…  FCC next-gen TV rulemaking notice draws praise.  TVNewsCheck

Broadband

• The future belongs to the media and tech companies that can harness 5G.  Recode

Cable/MVPD/Pay-TV/Cord-Cutting

• Comcast releases beta of Xfinity TV app for Roku.  Video Nuze

Digital Video/OTT/VOD

• Fifth of U.S. broadband households cancel OTT service in last 12 months.  Rapid TV News
• Can foreign subtitled TV SVOD service find a U.S. audience?  nScreenMedia
• Are apps the future of OTT video experience?  nScreenMedia
• must read  Facebook full stream ahead for premium video.  Rapid TV News  …and…  Buyers see potential in Facebook’s TV push.  Digiday  …and…  Here are the big risks for Facebook as it pursues a “video first” strategy.  Video Nuze
• What millennials who cut the cord watch instead.  Media Live Magazine

Radio/Podcasting/Digital Audio

• Are you a radio station?  Jacobs Media Strategies
• NAB study finds 44% of top U.S. smartphones have FM chips activated.  Radio & Internet News
• Public radio audience growth extends to live station audio streams.  Current

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

• Repack problematic despite progress.  TVNewsCheck
• Forward auction continuing in cleanup phase.  Moved into 10% increments this week.  Current total $19.33B, Round 34.  FCC dashboard
• must read  Media Bureau adopts post-auction policies and procedures for stations transitioning to new channels following the broadcast incentive auction.  CommLawBlog  …and…  Post-auction: 39 months or bust.  TVTechnology
• Broadcast lawyers to FCC: Can we talk?  TVTechnology

Strategy/Management/Business

• FCC’s Media Bureau rescinds ruling on new noncom ownership reporting rules.  Comm Law Center
• A broadcaster’s guide to Washington issues [long read].  David Oxenford and David O’Connor in TVNewsCheck
• must read  We too often ignore the tradeoff between innovation and optimization.  Greg Satell in Digital Tonto

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, Jan. 28, 2017

Selected links below are from my @haarsager Twitter feed from this past week.  --Dennis

Cable/Pay-TV/MVPD

• AT&T plans DirecTV Now over 5G in Austin.  TVTechnology

Digital Video/OTT/VOD

• must read  Adults over 50 are the fastest growing demo for online video.  FierceCable
• Millennials make up nearly half of US cordless users.  Rapid TV News
• Research: 30% of millennials are cord-nevers or cord-cutters.  Video Nuze
• must read  ‘Go OTT or go home.’ Report: State of the Broadcast Industry 2017.  Ooyala

Journalism

• Facebook journalism project is nothing but a much-needed PR stunt.  Frederic Filloux in Monday Note

Social Media

• A new megaphone: Social media gives consumers a chance to be heard on what they watch.  Nielsen

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

• The final stage rule was reached in Stage 4 but that stage’s forward auction moves on in clean-up bidding rounds, round #14 as of Friday ($18.58B).  FCC Incentive Auction Dashboard
• must read  Procedures for the Post-Incentive Auction Broadcast Transition.  FCC  …and…  FCC outlines post-incentive auction transition.  Broadcasting & Cable   …and…  FCC clarifies auction assignment phase.  TVTechnology
• Incentive auction’s ‘success’: A skeptic’s view.  TVTechnology
• Spectrum demand highest in mid-sized markets.  TVTechnology
• Spectrum sellers won’t be known until March.  TVNewsCheck
• Preston Padden asks FCC to end ‘quiet period.’  TVNewsCheck

Strategy/Management/Business

• must read  With its existence under threat from a new presdent, core concepts of American public broadcasting turn 50 this week.  NiemanLab
• must read  The great unbundling.  Stratechery

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, Jan.22, 2017

This was a big week for the FCC’s television spectrum auction, meeting its “final stage rule” at Stage 4.  A bit of cleanup bidding remains, but for broadcasters it’s over.  So here’s another compilation of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  --Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• The timing of ATSC 3.0 could not be better.  TVTechnology
• HbbTV requests video streaming proposals.  Digital TV Europe

Cable/MVPD/Pay-TV/Cord-Cutting

• Putting a firm number on how many are cord-cutting.  Media Life Magazine

Consumer Electronics

• Shambling corpse of 3D TV finally falls down dead.  Cnet

Digital Video/VOD/OTT

• must read  Can stations live with Facebook Live?  NetNewsCheck
• Nearly one-third of U.S. consumers watch pirated video.  Video Nuze
• Service providers switching focus from linear TV to OTT.  Rapid TV News
• Older millennial connected TV device owners use device 1 hour per day.  nScreenMedia

Journalism

• must read  Can Marketplace reach an audience beyond those who already care about explainer journalism?  Nieman Lab
• A new collaboration: NPR stations nationwide are working together to spot trends in state governments.  Nieman Lab

Radio/Podcasting/Digital Audio

• MusicWatch time spent listening data see Pandora in the lead for 2016.  Radio and Internet News
• must read  Can Marketplace reach an audience beyond those who already care about explainer journalism?  Nieman Lab
• A new collaboration: NPR stations nationwide are working together to spot trends in state governments.  Nieman Lab
• Norway begins to switch off FM broadcasting, but why don’t they just use streaming instead of DAB+?  Radioinfo

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

• Forward auction cleanup bidding to resume Monday as incentive auction nears end.  FierceWireless
• FCC’s incentive auction in home stretch after satisfying final stage rule.  Wireless Week  …and… FCC’s incentive auction to end after Stage 4.  Broadcasting & Cable  …and…  Final stage auction rule met at $18.2B.  TVTechnology
• Analyst: Lackluster FCC auction casts doubt on the value of spectrum.  FierceWireless
• Wheeler’s auction: promises undelivered.  Harry Jessell commentary in TVNewsCheck  …and…  FCC’s Wheeler: Successful spectrum auction assured.  Broadcasting & Cable  …and…  The auction debacle.  TVTechnology
• Don’t be disappointed by the FCC’s incentive auction.  Technology Policy Institute
• MoffettNathanson: It’s time to give up the myth of spectrum as commodity.  WirelessWeek

Strategy/Management/Business

• must read  Trump’s team said to be planning to privatize public broadcasting.  Fortune  …and…  Trump team prepares dramatic cuts.  The Hill
• must read  Can stations live with Facebook Live?  NetNewsCheck

Television 

• Rise in broadband-only homes using TV antennas.  MediaPost  …and…  U.S. pay-TV satisfaction dips as antenna-only TV services rise to 15% of broadband households.  Rapid TV News  …and… Pay-TV loses ground to antenna-only households.  Cnet

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, 11/19/2019

Here is another collection of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  Happy Thanksgiving and don’t eat anything I wouldn’t. 

--Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

Sinclair’s CEO: ATSC 3.0, the only avenue to growth.  TVNewsCheck 

http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/nabs-smith-local-news-crucial-to-democracy/279857

must read  NAB CEO:  3.0 is crucial to local broadcast.  TVTechnology

ATSC 3.0 could pay off but retrans will be part of the gamble.  FierceCable

An open letter to FCC Commish Ajit Pai.  TVNewsCheck

must read  ATSC 3.0 and educational media.  TVTechnology

How ATSC 3.0 changes broadcasting for the better (it’s not just 4K).  Studio Daily

must read  ATSC 3.0 promises to level the playing field between broadcasters and OTT services.  The Drum

Broadband

Say goodbye to net neutrality.  InfoWorld

Chickens and eggs: The problem of the 5G use case.  FierceWireless

Cable/Pay-TV/Cord-Cutting

Pay TV subscribers churn, while cord-cutting rises.  MediaPost  …and…  Video cord cutting data: Telco TV losses contribute to record declines for pay-TV.  Telecompetitor  …and…  Cord cutting hits an all-time high.  Media Life Magazine

Digital Media/Mobile

Online measurement is a mess.  Wall Street Journal

must read  Social drives video to dominate mobile data traffic by 2022.  nScreenMedia  …and…  Mobile video to spur mobile data to grow 50% by 2022.  Rapid TV News

Radio/Podcasting/Digital Audio

must read  For WNYC, radio’s future is all about experimentation.  Fast Company

The Apple CarPlay conundrum.  Jacobs Media Strategies

must read  Listen deeply: The public radio mandate.  Laura Walker in Medium

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack

Noncoms ask FCC to expand repack reimbursement catalog.  Broadcasting & Cable

must read  NAB: FCC needs to extend repack deadline.  TVNewsCheck

Television

A world without commercials? Contemplating the future of TV.  MediaPost

Will smart TV’s stay smart?  nScreenMedia

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, Nov. 12, 2016

Here is this week’s collection of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  Lots of ATSC 3.0 information this week thanks to the NAB Show in New York.  --Dennis

ATSC 3.0/HbbTV

• must read  3.0 viewership data could remake ad biz.  TVNewsCheck  …and…  Expanded ad sales among 3.0’s potential.  TVNewsCheck
• Sinclair ATSC 3.0 receiver spec Q&A with Mark Aitken.  TVTechnology
• must read  ATSC 3.0: A cooler look at the next-gen standard.  Broadcasting & Cable  …and…  Sinclair CEO: Broadcasting isn’t a growth business, but ATSC 3.0 can change that.  FierceCable  …and…  Fox not yet ready to embrace 3.0.  TVNewsCheck
• must read  RF engineers eye the future of TV spectrum.  TVNewsCheck
• Panel: 3.0 the greatest thing since color.  TVNewsCheck
• must read  Stations must evolve with TV’s ecosystem.  TVNewsCheck
• NAB’s top tech sees 3.0 OK coming soon.  TVNewsCheck

Cable/Pay-TV/Cord-Cutting

• Pay TV subscribers decline.  MediaPost
• Dish Network’s Ergen: OTT will ‘chop up’ the Pay-TV ecosystem.  FierceCable

Digital Media/OTT/Mobile

• Native apps are doomed.  Eric Elliott in Medium
• Dish Network’s Ergen: OTT will ‘chop up’ the Pay-TV ecosystem.  FierceCable
• North American mobile video traffic set for surge.  Rapid TV News
• must read  Signals of editorial quality.  Monday Note

Journalism

• must read  Signals of editorial quality.  Monday Note

Radio/Podcasting

• Retail radio.  Jacobs Media Strategies

Spectrum/Incentive Auction/Repack/Wireless

• must read  RF engineers eye the future of TV spectrum.  TVNewsCheck
• Auction and repack: doing the math.  Bill Hayes in TVTechnology
• The wireless industry is changing before our eyes.  FierceWireless

Strategy/Management/Business

• Two important lessons for TV broadcasters.  TVNewsCheck
• must read  Stations must evolve with TV’s ecosystem.  TVNewsCheck
• comScore, TVision aim to set audience measurement on course.  FierceCable
• Nielsen completes cable universe review, concludes November’s decline was accurate.  MediaPost

Television

• 2016, a banner year for 4K/Ultra HD.  Rapid TV News  …and…  4K adoption upp 104%.  Rapid TV News
• The truth about how much live TV we’re watching.  Media Life Magazine
• Healthy year for local TV, despite uncertainties.  Media Life Magazine
• Will millennials return to TV as they age?  nScreenMedia
• America has never had so much TV, and even Hollywood is overwhelmed.  Washington Post

Weekend readings for #pubmedia, Aug. 6, 2016

This must be vacation season for media journalists and the companies about which they write.  Another shorter than normal collection of links from my @haarsager Twitter feed follows.  --Dennis

Cable/Pay-TV

Even Time Warner has realized that cord cutters are the future.  Slate

Comcast X1 failing to bring meaningful pay TV growth.  nScreenMedia

Digital Video/VOD/OTT

Digital video platforms drawing ever-increasing numbers of viewers.  eMarketer

Videos of the future.  Benedict Evans

must read  Apple is still spinning its wheels in video while big competitors hit their stride.  Video Nuze

Social Media

NPR’s Facebook Live strategy focuses on getting the audience to participate in the broadcasts.  journalism.co.uk

Spectrum/Incentive Auction

must read (for auction participants)  Debunking a few myths about the FCC’s incentive auction.  Broadcast Law Blog

Dish Network stock falls, pay TV firm raises more debt amid auction.  Investors.com

Strategy/Management/Business

Diversification: Broadcasting’s new alter ego.  Harry Jessell in TVNewsCheck

What stations need to know about fundraising partnerships.  Current

Tips for public TV stations pledging the core.  Current

Paula Kerger interview: Find the courage to take a terrifying leap.  New York Times

Television

must read  A love letter to PBS.  Hollywood Reporter

This week’s readings for #pubmedia, July 18, 2016

Here’s another collection of selected links from my @haarsager Twitter feed.  --Dennis

Cable/Satellite TV/MVPD/Cord Cutting/Pay-TV

must read  Cutting the cord.  The Economist [here’s that explainer you wanted to share with your board – DH]

Evercore: Cord cutting will be down by about 100k in Q2.  FierceCable

The downside to cord cutting.  New York Times

Quarter of U.S. households have cut the cord (GfK).  Rapid TV News

must read  Free-to-air TV moving to pay-online.  nScreenMedia

Digital Video/OTT/VOD/Mobile

Nielsen: Mobile video viewing spikes in Q1.  Rapid TV News

must read  Connected devices challenge TV on reach, engagement.  nScreenMedia

Millennials discover the joy of free-to-air TV.  nScreenMedia  …and…  GfK survey: 17% of U.S. households are OTA-only.  TVTechnology  …and…  MediaPost  …and…  TVNewsCheck [note: Nielsen’s estimate is 11.9% (differences in methodology, definitions or both) –DH]

Journalism

must read  Funding non-profit journalism? Be transparent and do no harm.  Craig “craigslist” Newmark in Huffington Post

Live streaming breaks through and cable news has much to fear.  New York Times

must read  Social media has swallowed the news – threatening the funding of public-interest reporting.  The Guardian

Radio/Digital Audio/Podcasting

NPR stations to join iHeartRadio.  Radio & Internet News

Radio is losing Gen Z, but who cares?  Jacobs Media Strategy

Millennials aren’t very interested in traditional radio any more.  Forbes

Spectrum/Incentive Auction

must read  PBS’s Kerger concerned about broadcast landscape post-auction.  Broadcasting & Cable

62 applicants qualified to bid for TV spectrum.  TVTechnology

Forward auction starts Aug. 16.  Multichannel News

must read  Q&A with PwC’s Strategy& principal on auction price point divide.  TVTechnology  …and…  Seeking clarity on the incentive auction.  TVNewsCheck

Three things to know about the forward auction.  Multichannel News

The FCC's reverse spectrum auction probably sets the bar too high for wireless carriers to match.  The Motley Fool

Strategy/Management/Business

PBS chief: Public media probably wouldn’t die under President Trump.  Washington Post

Television

Declines in total TV viewing have slowed over the past 3 years, while overall daily media screen time is on the rise.  MediaPost

Reaching audiences at scale: Will TV succeed in the digital age? [video]  Video Nuze

must read  Free-to-air TV moving to pay-online.  nScreenMedia