GTN Gray Media Inc

 Four of the nation’s largest independent local broadcasting groups have come together to form EdgeBeam Wireless, LLC, a joint venture created to provide robust wireless data services to a wide range of businesses and industries across the country.

The E.W. Scripps Company, Gray Media, Inc., Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and Sinclair, Inc. launched the new company ahead of meetings this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Leveraging broadcasters’ uniquely efficient network architecture and the ATSC 3.0 transmission standard, EdgeBeam Wireless will provide expansive, reliable, and secure data delivery services. Using the broadcasters’ existing ATSC 3.0 facilities to deliver data has immediate applications for industries that need to send data to multiple customers, often in real time. This approach delivers a notably cost-effective solution that complements and enhances current wireless solutions.

Among EdgeBeam’s potential applications:

• Automotive connectivity – including software updates, infotainment, precision navigation, and safety enhancements. The total addressable market for automotive connectivity services is as much as $3.7 billion per year according to internal estimates.
• Content delivery networks – EdgeBeam can help provide a significantly improved viewer experience for streaming services, without buffering or lag, particularly during high profile events with large audiences, such as live sports. The total addressable market for CDN services is estimated to be as much as $3.65 billion per year.
• Enhanced GPS – ATSC 3.0 can be used to improve the accuracy of GPS location information to mere centimeters as opposed to meters today. The total addressable market for enhanced GPS services is estimated to be as much as $220 million per year.

EdgeBeam will be able to deliver data across the country to any civilian or military device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets, and television sets.

This partnership creates a spectrum footprint that no individual broadcaster could achieve on its own, unlocking the potential of ATSC 3.0 to offer nationwide coverage for data delivery to billions of potential devices on market-disrupting terms. EdgeBeam anticipates partnering with other broadcasters for additional capacity to offer truly nationwide services. A national ATSC 3.0 footprint could also allow broadcasters to provide a complementary backup to existing GPS capabilities in the event GPS satellites were subject to interference – helping to secure the U.S. economy.

“The launch of EdgeBeam Wireless is the culmination of many years of technological advancement, market development and, importantly, recognition by government regulators of the expanded services local broadcasters can provide through ATSC 3.0 technology,” said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson. “Scripps is pleased to join forces with its peer companies to create not just a new company but a marketplace that will allow us to more deeply serve our local communities while providing a wide variety of industries with efficient data-transmission services nationwide.”

“With adoption of ATSC 3.0 receivers in television sets continuing to increase with more models available and sets sold every year, Gray Media is eager to join EdgeBeam Wireless to expand the user base for our broadcast signals to a new category of businesses and to spur the wider deployment of receiver chips in an expanded range of handheld units and vehicles,” explained Hilton Howell, Gray Media’s Executive Chairman and CEO.

Nexstar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Perry Sook said, “Our long-held belief is that the transmission of high-speed data via our broadcast infrastructure represents a new way forward for the broadcast industry and a new stream of potentially significant revenue.  Nexstar is pleased that these four broadcast groups have come together to create this important new venture.”

“This is a groundbreaking development for the broadcast industry,” said Sinclair, Inc. President and CEO Chris Ripley. “We’re thrilled to partner with other leaders in our industry to chart a new path forward and develop new revenue opportunities. EdgeBeam Wireless will have benefits for the entire wireless ecosystem, helping to relieve congestion while also offering competitive pricing for wide-area data distribution.”

About ScrippsThe E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps’ long-time motto is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

About GrayGray Media (NYSE: GTN), or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formerly known as Gray Television, Inc.  The company is the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households.  The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 43 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households.  The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services.  Gray’s additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.  Gray owns a majority interest in Swirl Films.  For more information, please visit www.graymedia.com.

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) is a leading diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms, including more than 310,000 hours of programming produced annually by its business units. Nexstar owns America’s largest local television broadcasting group comprised of top network affiliates, with 200 owned or partner stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people. Nexstar’s national television properties include The CW, America’s fifth major broadcast network, NewsNation, our national news network providing “News for All Americans,” popular entertainment multicast networks Antenna TV and Rewind TV, and a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network. The Company’s portfolio of digital assets, including its local TV station websites, The Hill and NewsNationNow.com, are collectively a Top 10 U.S. digital news and information property. For more information, please visit nexstar.tv.

About Sinclair: Sinclair, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local news and sports. The Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks; owns Tennis Channel and multicast networks Comet, CHARGE!, TBD. and The Nest. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and the nation’s largest streaming aggregator of local news content, NewsON. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.

Company contacts:

Scripps: Carolyn Micheli carolyn.micheli@scripps.comGray: Kevin Latek kevin.latek@graymedia.com Nexstar: Gary Weitman gweitman@nexstar.tv Sinclair: Jessica Bellucci jbellucci-c@sbgtv.com

Category: General