CTIA-The Wireless Association and Los Angeles Television Stations KLCS and KJLA Issue Spectrum Channel Sharing Pilot Project Report Showing Successful Results

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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO NATIONAL, RADIO-TELEVISION, AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:

CTIA-The Wireless Association and Los Angeles Television Stations KLCS

and KJLA Issue Spectrum Channel Sharing Pilot Project Report Showing

Successful Results

LOS ANGELES and WASHINGTON, March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

CTIA-The Wireless Association@ and Los Angeles television stations

KLCS and KJLA released today their channel sharing pilot project

report (PDF), which clearly proved channel sharing is feasible, and is

a technically viable option for broadcasters with minimal impact for

viewers. For stations interested in sharing a single six MHz

radiofrequency channel, the results show how to successfully navigate

numerous technical situations that may arise as well as real-world

implications for successful channel sharing.

The report reflects the findings of the two participating stations and

to the extent that similar combinations of stations arise elsewhere,

this testing may serve as a baseline assessment of channel sharing.

First announced January 28, 2014 and approved for testing by the

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) February 4 (PDF), the report

findings include:

-- Physical and virtual level channel sharing is feasible.

-- It is technically possible to combine two high definition (HD)

television streams onto a single channel.

-- Two HD streams may be combined with additional standard definition

(SD) program streams. Up to two additional SD streams are possible

without major impact to the quality of experience of the overall

material. Additional SD streams may be possible with additional

testing and analysis.

-- It may be feasible for three HD streams to be combined onto a

single channel. Testing found that this combination may be technically

feasible and of value for broadcasters, but each entity needs to

examine the digital complexity of its material and decide if this

combination is acceptable for its viewers.

-- One HD stream may be combined with a variety of SD programs. The

parties tested one HD and up to seven SD streams in a single Advanced

Television System Committee (ATSC) channel with good results.

-- In order to ensure a positive viewer experience, the FCC and

broadcasters must carefully plan a transition to a repacked television

band that includes consumer guidance on rescanning.

If television stations choose to engage in channel sharing as part of

the FCC's upcoming incentive auction, KLCS and KJLA worked

collaboratively - with support from CTIA - to provide some of the

questions that stations need to answer for themselves in conjunction

with potential partner(s).

"The pilot study conducted by KJLA and KLCS demonstrates that channel

sharing is technically viable for broadcasters considering this

option. To the extent that similar combinations arise elsewhere, this

report may serve as a baseline assessment of sharing," said Alan

Popkin, Director of TV Engineering, KLCS.

"Our collaboration with KLCS yielded extremely valuable and

interesting data about the promise of channel sharing, without adverse

effect on our over-the-air audience," said Francis Wilkinson, Vice

President and General Manager of KJLA. "We hope that our pilot project

and the report issued today will allow interested parties to further

explore the possibilities associated with channel sharing."

"The thorough and thoughtful testing done by the engineers at KLCS and

KJLA clearly validates the significant opportunities that channel

sharing will provide television broadcasters without impacting their

viewers. With the facts demonstrating the successful benefits of

channel sharing, we are hopeful broadcasters will review the testing

and consider this option for participating in the FCC's Incentive

Auction. Freeing up spectrum through the Incentive Auction will, in

turn, enable the wireless industry to purchase the spectrum so we may

continue to meet user demands for Internet access anywhere, anytime,"

said Steve Largent, President and CEO, CTIA. "On behalf of the

wireless industry, I appreciate the leadership shown by the executives

and engineers at KLCS and KJLA to ensure a successful incentive

auction process."

About CTIA CTIA-The Wireless Association@ (www.ctia.org) is an

international organization representing the wireless communications

industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and

their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless

data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at

all levels of government. The association also coordinates the

industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the

industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and

is based in Washington, D.C. Twitter: @ctia | Blog:

http://blog.ctia.org/| Facebook: http://ctia.it/LCm4Nn | LinkedIn

Group: http://ctia.it/Na6cA2.

About KJLA KJLA is a multilingual, multicultural television station

operating on digital channel 49, licensed to Ventura, CA inside the

Los Angeles DMA. KJLA is the flagship station for the LATV Network, a

national entertainment network serving U.S. born Latinos, which is

distributed via digital primary and multicast signals. Our multicast

partners currently offer up several additional programs with diverse

cultural content. KJLA is carried in Los Angeles and surrounding

counties on approximately 2.8 million cable homes and 2 million DBS

satellite homes, in addition to operating over the air.

About KLCS KLCS is a multiple Emmy Award winning non-commercial

station, which is broadcast to more than 15 million viewers throughout

Southern California, viewed by 8 million households monthly and by 1

out of 10 television viewers in Southern California each week.

Broadcasting from Mount Wilson, the KLCS coverage area extends from

Ventura County to San Diego. Los Angeles is the second largest

Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States. KLCS is owned and

operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). KLCS'

diverse audience includes LAUSD's nearly 1 million K-12 and adult

students, their families and employees.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-a

SOURCE CTIA-The Wireless Association

-0- 03/28/2014

/CONTACT: CTIA, Amy Storey, (202) 736-3207, AStorey@ctia.org

/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-a

/Web Site: http://www.ctia.org

CO: CTIA-The Wireless Association

ST: District of Columbia California

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