WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 24, 2019 – Lonna Thompson, executive vice president, chief operating officer and general counsel of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), issued the following statement on the launch of WKAR Public Media and Michigan State University’s (MSU) NextGen Media Innovation Lab:
“America’s Public Television Stations congratulate WKAR Public Media and Michigan State University on the official launch of their extraordinary new NextGen Media Innovation Lab.
“WKAR and MSU are true pioneers in this new age of broadcasting, as the first public television licensee in the country to be granted an ATSC 3 license from the Federal Communications Commission.
“The demonstrations at the new lab – showcasing public safety emergency alerting and innovations in education, virtual reality and gaming – are a promising glimpse of an exciting future for every public television station in America, as the Next Gen ATSC 3 broadcast standard is adopted in other markets.
“WKAR is continuing the long public television tradition of experimentation and innovation, and we couldn’t be prouder of their commitment to finding creative ways to serve the people of Michigan and their fellow Americans with the highest and best services that Next Gen TV offers.
“We applaud MSU president Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MSU dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences Prabu David, and WKAR’s general manager Susi Elkins for their forward-looking leadership in advancing the important missions of public television.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org