Eight Orlando Television Stations Launch NEXTGEN TV Broadcasts

Fully Upgradable Technology Offers More Central Florida Viewers Enhanced Broadcast Video and Audio Service and Future Interactive Applications

News provided by

Pearl TV

Jul 01, 2021, 08:00 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, an expanded number of central Florida viewers will get a taste of the future as eight Orlando TV stations band together to launch NEXTGEN TV. Delivering more expansive audio and video options, as well as other innovative new capabilities, NEXTGEN TV enables TV stations to better personalize their broadcasts with information and interactive features, making the content more relevant and engaging for viewers.

"With NEXTGEN TV, viewers are immersed in stunning video with brilliant color, sharper images, and deeper contrast, making them feel like they're part of the action," explained Mike McClain, senior vice president and general manager of WOFL-TV, WRBW-TV, and WOGX-TV. "Offering a whole new dimension to broadcast TV viewing, the Dolby Audio System for NEXTGEN TV offers movie-theater quality sound, consistent volume across channels, and Voice + enhanced dialogue so viewers can hear every voice clearly."

NEXTGEN TV is a feature built into select new TV models manufactured by LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony, and now widely available to consumers. While features available on NEXTGEN TV will vary by device and by broadcaster as commercial service becomes available in local markets, it is designed to be upgradable, enabling a viewer's television set to advance with the latest technology.

NEXTGEN TV delivers:

Stunning 4K, High Dynamic Range (HDR) video
Movie theater-quality sound
Voice + dialogue enhancement
Consistent volume across channels
Enhanced internet content on demand

"Viewers in Orlando have a lot to be excited about, as NEXTGEN TV is going to change the way they experience live broadcast television, and it will only get better as more features are added down the road by their local stations," said John Soapes, president and general manager of WESH-TV. "NEXTGEN TV ensures the future of television, where content and the experience of watching culminates, leaving viewers informed, entertained, and inspired."

Orlando, which is the nation's 17th largest television market, joins Tampa, Tallahassee, and Pensacola, and nearly 30 other early-adopter cities across the country where NEXTGEN TV service is already available. The eight local stations launching the new digital TV broadcast technology are Fox Television owned-and-operated WRBW-TV (MyNetwork, Channel 65) and WOFL-TV (FOX, Channel 35), Cox Media Group's WFTV-TV (ABC, Channel, 9) and WRDQ-TV (Independent, Channel, 27), Graham Media Group's WKMG-TV (CBS, Channel 6), Hearst Television's WESH-TV (NBC, Channel 2) and WKCF-TV (CW, Channel 18), and University of Central Florida's WUCF-TV (PBS, Channel 24).

"NEXTGEN TV merges over-the-air TV with the internet, changing the way viewers watch live broadcast television and revolutionizing their interactions with their home screens," added Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, the broadcaster business group that is coordinating NEXTGEN TV station launches. "Because NEXTGEN TV can also be enhanced with internet content, viewers across central Florida will be able to get the most out of live news, live events, and live sports."

The participating stations have worked together to ensure current programming remains available to all viewers, regardless of whether their television service is provided over-the air or by a cable or satellite company. Antenna viewers can simply rescan their TV sets to ensure full service. Rescan instructions are available at: fcc.gov/rescan. Cable and satellite subscribers do not need to take any action. Because NEXTGEN TV has no impact on a household's internet bandwidth—competition for bandwidth in the home is eliminated, viewers will benefit from the enhanced viewing experience alongside whatever streaming platform they use.

Orlando viewers can learn more about NEXTGEN TV by visiting www.watchnextgentv.com, which offers a guide to cities carrying the service, as well as links to available NEXTGEN TV models.

About Pearl TV:
Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Pearl's membership, comprising more than 750 TV stations, includes nine of the largest broadcast companies in America: Cox Media Group, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, and TEGNA, Inc.

About WOFL/WRBW/WOGX:
WOFL/WRBW/WOGX are part of the FOX Television Stations, which owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 17 are affiliated with the FOX Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, our television stations collectively produce nearly 1,000 hours of local news every week. These stations leverage viewer, distributor and advertiser demand for the FOX Network's national content.

SOURCE Pearl TV