The days of summer are almost over and many college students are on their way back to their respective halls of learning, ready to crack open the books and study up – eventually anyway. You don’t have to be a student though to take a few refresher courses. As the TV landscape seems to be in a constant state of motion, it certainly wouldn’t hurt broadcasters and engineers to be up to date on some of the industry’s biggest topics. Here are some subjects that TV professionals might want to study up on.
4. FCC Rules
Like history, the FCC never stops. All broadcast professionals must always keep a keen eye on the latest amendments to regulations, or whole new legislature. For example, the FCC recently announced an amendment repurposing broadcast television band spectrum for new wireless services that will alter the regulatory landscape for unlicensed white space devices and wireless microphones operating in the bands currently allocated for television broadcasting. Just when you think you have things down, the FCC offers something new for you to learn.
3. Single Frequency Networks
With the Television Spectrum Incentive auction currently slated for March 29, 2016, there’s a good amount of time to prepare for all the possible elements of the auction’s aftermath. One side of it that would be good to look into is Single Frequency Networks. With the amount of spectrum already shrinking, and even less likely to be available after the auction, SFN’s can potentially help broadcasters tailor coverage to a given market and minimize spill-over.
2. Cyber Security
Over the last year there have been a number of high-profile cyber-attacks against high-profile companies, and even our own government. As a result, the need for cyber-security has become a priority for many. But, as Forbes points out in a recent article, there are still many elements of cyber security that people need to become more familiar with. With the industry constantly moving toward more digital and IT technologies, people need to be sure they are on top of this potential threat.
1. ATSC 3.0
We’ve talked a lot about ATSC 3.0 already on both print and online, but it’s worth it. The next-generation broadcast standard is still in development, but it will have the biggest impact on the industry by far. In addition to covering many of the recent broadcast developments like interactivity, mobile devices and higher-resolution images, ATSC 3.0 also plans to be able to adapt to new technologies as they emerge. The suspected impact that ATSC 3.0 will have will force engineers and broadcasters to adapt too, and quickly, so better get a head-start now.
