Press release

Sinclair Broadcast Group Congratulates TSDSI and ATSC for Signing Standards Adoption Agreement

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Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (“Sinclair”) (Nasdaq: SBGI) and ONE Media 3.0, LLC (“ONE Media”) applaud the Telecom Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for signing an agreement to enable adoption of ATSC standards for broadcast services on mobile devices in India.

As members of both standards organizations, Sinclair and ONE Media have actively supported co-operative efforts between TSDSI and ATSC on this agreement as well as detailed standards contributions and joint U.S. and Indian activities. Of particular significance, ATSC 3.0, the world’s first Internet-Protocol-based television broadcast standard, has many elements of convergence and compatibility with international telecom standards that have been recognized by this agreement as a strong candidate for Direct-to-Mobile broadcast for the billion strong mobile user base in India.

Developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee, the ATSC 3.0 standard has been adopted in both the United States and the Republic of Korea. Unlike other digital terrestrial broadcast standards including the European DVB-T, Japanese/Brazilian ISDB-T, and Chinese DTMB platforms, it is purpose-built for the modern 5G telecom era of convergence with the ability to introduce new waveforms and features for rapidly evolving use cases.

“We’re delighted that leaders in broadcast and telecom standards are charting a way forward to break traditional walls between these verticals in the interest of creating the most cost-effective broadcast solution for massive cellularized deployment. Our investment in Saankhya Labs (www.saankhyalabs.com) for ATSC 3.0 silicon and infrastructure technologies is a clear testament of our confidence in India’s technological expertise and market influence,” said Christopher Ripley, Sinclair’s President and CEO. “Through adaptation by TSDSI, ATSC 3.0 also can be part of the 5G ecosystem for non-television data services.”

The IP-based standard, incorporates remarkable new capabilities including:

  • Synchronicity with 5G telecom services;
  • Upgrades to new waveforms for new use cases;
  • Provision of robust mobile reception on a wide range of devices;
  • Improved spectrum efficiency in a cellular topology;
  • Provision of resilient advanced emergency information.

Ripley added, “We congratulate both ATSC and TSDSI for their foresight and keen acknowledgement of the need for a converged broadcast solution that complements 5G unicast. It certainly meets the foundational needs of terrestrial broadcasters with strong public service missions.”

“We are pleased that the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has recognized ATSC 3.0 as an ‘emerging standard around 5G broadcasting where you can directly broadcast to mobile phones’ as well as providing a grant for proof-of-concept field trials to validate the business case1,” said Sesh Simha, ONE Media’s Vice President of Advanced Technology. “Designed in India, our Mark ONE engineering validation smartphone with embedded ATSC 3.0 technology is an example of our continued support of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) solutions for this activity.”

About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 21 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 186 television stations in 87 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. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.

About ONE Media 3.0

ONE Media 3.0, headquartered in Hunt Valley, MD, USA, was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. with a vision to build and globally deploy the Next Generation Broadcast Platform, enabling broadcasters to be competitive across all platforms in delivering enhanced video and data services. For more information about ONE Media 3.0, see www.onemediallc.com.

1 “Demand for Grants (2021-22) Twenty Fifth Report by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Seventeenth Lok Sabha,” March 2021, Para 104.