Collaboration between Central Tennessee's PBS, PMVG, and vendors on sign-language alerts for the ATSC 3.0 framework
In a recent meeting in Cookeville, Tennessee, WCTE, Public Media Venture Group (PMVG), DigiCAP, and EQ4ALL joined forces to discuss a groundbreaking initiative. The collaboration, supported by a Memorandum of Understanding, focuses on advancing accessibility and emergency alert technology.
The meeting, hosted by WCTE president and CEO Avery Hutchins and Putnam County EMA Director Brandon Smith, was attended by project leaders, station engineers, emergency management experts, specialists in accessibility solutions, local government officials, Putnam County Mayor, and Cookeville Mayor.
The goal of this project is to ensure critical information reaches deaf and hearing-impaired community members more effectively. The initiative is powered by PMVG's NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) station in Cookeville.
EQ4ALL co-CEO, Kevin Lee, demonstrated human avatar technology that uses American Sign Language (ASL) to deliver emergency alerts over various platforms. Lee highlighted the importance of ASL because many hearing-impaired individuals cannot rely on text-based alerts.
DigiCAP senior VP, Joonyoung Park, emphasized that television's large coverage area and the hardening and backup power of broadcast sites make it an ideal platform for emergency alerts. Park also stated that ATSC 3.0 technology enhances this capability by adding intelligence and accessibility features to the alerts.
The ATSC 3.0 standard, according to Lee, allows the addition of sign language capabilities, making alerts more accessible and impactful. This advanced technology offers enhanced closed captioning, integration of sign language interpreters, multiple audio outputs, and more interactive and targeted alert delivery.
This collaboration demonstrates the potential of ATSC 3.0's flexibility to tailor emergency alerts beyond the limits of the older ATSC 1.0 system, elevating accessibility and information clarity for marginalized communities, including the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
More information about the initiative can be found on the WCTE, DigiCAP, EQ4ALL, and PMVG websites. This collaboration is part of a broader move toward leveraging ATSC 3.0 to enhance inclusivity and improve public safety communications.
- In the collaboration effort, WCTE's NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) station in Cookeville will be instrumental in broadcasting digital content for the project.
- The partnership aims to improve the delivery of general-news and emergency alerts in sign language (ASL) through cloud-based video technology by EQ4ALL.
- At the meeting, project leaders discussed the potential of the ATSC 3.0 infrastructure to deliver more targeted and accessible Ott (Over-the-Top) media alerts.
- Digital technology specialist Joonyoung Park of DigiCAP underscored the benefits of broadcast TV's large coverage area for emergency alert delivery.
- The media industry is looking forward to the technological advancements in NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) that will enable improved IP-based communication systems for public safety.
- The collaboration between the organizations marks a significant step toward incorporating more inclusive and accessible media technology in television.
- By utilizing ATSC 3.0's enhanced closing captioning, integration of sign language interpreters, and multiple audio outputs, the initiative seeks to address the needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community more effectively.
