HUNT VALLEY, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ONE Media 3.0, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s subsidiary dedicated to the deployment of advanced broadcast capabilities, announced today a three-part webinar series tackling the intricacies of Advanced Emergency Information powered by the NextGen Broadcast standard – ATSC 3.0.

To be held virtually on consecutive Tuesdays in March (March 15, 22, 29 at 1:00 PM EST), the webinar series will take a deep dive into the new capabilities to warn and inform consumers of urgent events from weather to police actions to natural disasters and finding lost neighbors – all made possible by the new technology now being deployed across the country by television broadcasters both public and commercial.

As the ability for broadcasters to create interactive services draws closer, Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) services are among the most compelling public service a broadcaster can offer. AEI also represents the best unique feature set broadcasters can field as they vie for users against much larger media platforms that have had interactive capabilities for many years. This series will examine opportunities AEI services can offer broadcasters to improve service to their communities and business health.

Register for the first or all webinars (https://www.atsc3advocate.com/aei-webinars)
Webinars will have one hour presentation/discussion followed by 30 min audience Q&A

Webinar #1: Tuesday March 15, 1 PM ET
As NextGen Broadcasters offer interactive services, AEI services can offer features not available from large digital platforms.

AEI is a service with extraordinarily unique advantages. This panel will examine what it will take to offer services unavailable today yet critical to broadcasters’ local communities.

Topics to include:

• How AEI and other interactive services will fundamentally change the relationship broadcasters have with viewers by making it interactive
• How the return path for NextGen Broadcast services works
• New research that anticipates consumer preferences and acceptance of AEI features
• Comparisons with digital services that also offer geo-targeted alerts and emergency information
• What AEI services will look like from the user point of view (frame grabs)
• How AEI can enhance mobile/portability
• How AEI can be expanded to provide urgent information and support a community in normal times
• Preparing for interactive viewer relationships, calculating the benefit of long-term digital viewers
• Portability to the app in the home, and through wireless carriers
• How TV stations with no news departments can benefit from the technology

Speakers:
Josh Gordon, TV Industry Strategist, Josh Gordon Group, (Moderator)
So Vang, VP of Emerging Technology at ONE Media 3.0
Rob Folliard, Senior VP, Government Relations & Distribution, Gray Television
Ed Czarnecki, Ph.D., Chairman, NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA)
Lynn Claudy, SVP Technology at the National Association of Broadcasters

Webinar #2: Tuesday March 22, 1 PM ET
How AEI services can strengthen relationships with local emergency managers and public safety professionals.

Over the past 10 years, local emergency managers have upgraded their communication technology. Today, the typical emergency manager can activate all their digital assets (text, email, social media) through an IP-based cloud system controlled on a single screen. Soon, NextGen Broadcasters will have a technology refresh story to tell about their communication technology as well. Can these two groups, which have worked together for years, find new ways to work more closely as they both embrace digital IP technology?

Topics to include:

• What do local emergency managers want from broadcasters?
• Which specific features of AEI can broadcasters use to work with local municipal Emergency Managers?
• Report from the first structured meet up organized by AWARN between a state broadcast association (California) and local emergency managers
• Research on how American consumers see the value of local broadcasters and local emergency managers during an emergency
• How AEI can address the needs of public safety personnel (first responders/EMT/fire/police)

Speakers:
Fred Baumgartner, Emergency Communications Guru, (Moderator)
John Lawson, Executive Director, AWARN Alliance
Pete Sockett, CTO, Capitol Broadcasting Company and State of North Carolina Emergency coordinator
John Contestable, Director, Public Safety Solutions, Skyline Communications
Josh Gordon, TV Industry Strategist, Josh Gordon Group
Local Emergency Manager, TBD

Webinar #3: Tuesday March 29, 1 PM ET
AEI services will enable TV newsrooms to better serve communities during threats.

Interactive capabilities will enable more effective ways a news department can serve a community under threat. The challenge is to do this without burdening already busy news staff.

Topics to include:

• Santa Barbara, case studies mudslides, wildfires
• Aftermath benefits of delivering AEI services during an emergency
• A viewer’s look at what interactive emergency news can look like
• What do news directors and GMs need to know about this functionality right now?
• New opportunities in mobile
• Planning ahead to minimize extra workload
• Which points of the newsroom workflow can be automated?
• How an automation investment made for AEI services could save workflow steps in non-emergency times
• Opportunities for new forms of news coverage including town halls on emergency topics
• Building flexible emergency content templates and evergreen content ahead of time.
• How to get reporters and news directors to get on board

Speakers:
Michael Fabac, Director of News & Marketing, News-Press & Gazette Company (Moderator)
Dan Shelley, Executive Director, RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association)
Lane Michaelsen, Group News Director, Sinclair Broadcast Group
Mark Hyman, News Executive, Sinclair Broadcast Group

Register for the first or all webinars

About ONE Media 3.0, LLC
ONE Media 3.0, headquartered in Hunt Valley, MD, was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) with a vision to build and globally deploy the Next Generation Broadcast Platform, enabling broadcasters to be competitive across all platforms in delivering enhanced video and data services. For more information about ONE Media 3.0, see www.onemediallc.com.