PMVG Launches NextGen TV Station in Cookeville, Tenn.

BOULDER, Colo. —The Public Media Venture Group (PMVG), a business development consortium of 32 public stations, has launched NextGen broadcasting service on W35DZ-D, its low-power station in Cookeville, Tennessee.

The launch was accomplished in collaboration with WCTE Central Tennessee PBS, a PMVG member station, which is hosting W35DZ’s transmitter and antenna at its Monterey tower location. W35DZ will bring cutting-edge ATSC 3.0 technology to the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee and Kentucky.

W35DZ will also serve as an active NextGen TV testbed to develop and demonstrate ATSC 3.0 applications and use cases, such as enhanced emergency alerting, interactive education, and datacasting, PMVG reported.

In partnership with SpectraRep, W35DZ will host a dedicated datacasting stream for regional public officials that demonstrates the advantages of NextGen for emergency alerting and public safety. The stream will showcase NextGen TV’s ability to improve reception and data rates and to seamlessly integrate with other systems.

This project is made possible through a joint venture between PMVG and RAPA (Korea Radio Promotion Association), working alongside ATSC 3.0 solutions provider DigiCAP, project manager Jim Stenberg of Over The Air RF Consulting, and Korean manufacturer JM Broadcast which provided the W35DZ transmitter at a deep discount, the participants said.

As previously reported, PMVG acquired W35DZ in 2022 thanks to the generosity of Jeff Winemiller (LowCountry 34 Media) , who donated the construction permit and provided engineering know-how and staff to design and construct the station’s original ATSC 1.0 signal.

W35DZ’s new 3.0 signal is configured to provide a high level of resiliency, the group said. Tailored to meet the challenges of central Tennessee’s mountainous terrain, it can deliver a payload of approximately 15 Mbps per second that will reach over 466,000 residents. The station will carry WCTE’s primary feed in ATSC 3.0 and 1080p as well as additional WCTE multicast channels in both high definition and standard definition.

PMVG also announced that it is asking for proposals from equipment manufacturers and service providers who are interested in using PMVG’s ATSC stations in Cookeville and Beaufort, SC, to demonstrate innovative ATSC 3.0 technologies and applications.

Comprised of 32 leading public media organizations, PMVG develops scalable technology use cases to help sustain public media’s vital services in the long term.