Encryption

[nickk]

We filed a new ex parte today - ATSC 3.0 Viewer Access for the November 17 Nationwide EAS Test:
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110079437/1

[geriakt]

As a viewer, what do we need to do? Does our HDHR player need to be turned on? For those of us that have other brands A3.0, should we also watch these tuners to?

I will be sure to check to see if my market of Orlando FL turns of DRM the week before the test.

[nickk]

As a viewer, what do we need to do? Does our HDHR player need to be turned on? For those of us that have other brands A3.0, should we also watch these tuners to?
I will be sure to check to see if my market of Orlando FL turns of DRM the week before the test.

We will definitely need help... give us a few days to work it out...

[jtkmass]

We filed a new ex parte today - ATSC 3.0 Viewer Access for the November 17 Nationwide EAS Test:
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110079437/1

A point to be made in the next filing: this is a scheduled test, so stations can turn off DRM and viewers may know to re-scan to look for open channels. But in a true emergency, it's already too late turn off DRM and attempt to alert viewers: they've set up their receiver(s) to ignore your channel. DRM interferes with emergency alerts by training viewers to ignore your broadcasts.

[lenlab]

Agree I am trained to not go near any stations with DRM.

[AlbumMan]

We will definitely need help... give us a few days to work it out...

There are two DRM stations in my market; (1) Gray and (1) Nexstar and I will be glad to help.

[nickk]

We filed a follow up ex parte today:
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110080048/1

[nickk]

Good article on our filings relating to the EAS test:
https://thedesk.net/2026/10/silicondust ... -eas-test/

[Cabal]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that after one of the two ATSC 3.0 frequencies in Austin, TX went offline for a couple weeks, it returned with KTBC/Fox no longer using DRM. Don't know how long it will last...

[jasonl]

Don't know how long it will last...

Probably a lot shorter than if you didn't post about it on a public forum .

[Cabal]

Don't know how long it will last...

Probably a lot shorter than if you didn't post about it on a public forum .

I don’t know much about broadcast engineering, but I would hope it’s a little more methodical than that.

[howardc1243]

Don't know how long it will last...

Probably a lot shorter than if you didn't post about it on a public forum .

I don’t know much about broadcast engineering, but I would hope it’s a little more methodical than that.

w.t.a.e. ch 4 in pittsburgh has been notorious in ignoring the EAS test and most likely will leave DRM turned on.

[emveepee]

Good article on our filings relating to the EAS test:
https://thedesk.net/2026/10/silicondust ... -eas-test/

Wouldn't leaving DRM on and being able to turn it off during the EAS be one of those things you'd want to test before a real emergency?

Martin

[jasonl]

NAB filed a response at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110082679/1. I thought this line was particularly interesting:

Asking broadcast stations to disable content protection before and during the test would create artificial conditions that do not reflect how those stations would operate during an actual emergency.

Saying the quiet part out loud that they're going to prioritize DRM over making emergency communications available to as wide of an audience as possible.