ONE Media 3.0 and Saankhya Labs Agree to ATSC 3.0 Chipset Development

HUNT VALLEY, Md., March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ONE Media 3.0, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI), today announced an agreement with Saankhya Labs, a leader in the development of Cognitive Software Defined Radio (SDR) chips, to accelerate the development of ATSC 3.0 (the Next Generation standard) chipsets.

Under the agreement, Saankhya Labs will begin the development of a global standards supporting ATSC 3.0 chipset that will enable various type of consumer devices to receive the Next Generation television standard.  Those devices will include televisions, cell phones, tablets, dongles, gateways and automotive units.  

The intent is to accelerate and stimulate the activities associated with the incubation of the ATSC 3.0 chipset development as a pre-cursor to a full-fledged development program.  During the project incubation stage, key team members of Saankhya Labs will engage in chip architecture definition and algorithm identification in collaboration with Sinclair and ONE Media 3.0 technical leads. 

The complete ATSC 3.0 standard is on track for final approval by the standard-setting body in the coming months and governmental approval for use in the U.S. is expected by year-end.  This new standard promises to revolutionize the broadcast industry by permitting mobility, convergence with broadband Internet platforms, addressability, conditional access, increased capacity and dramatic quality improvements.  Early development of the chipsets anticipating final approval should accelerate adoption of the dramatic new capabilities enabled by the standard as broadcasters begin deployment. 

"We are pleased to begin working with Saankhya Labs to fast-track development of a global ATSC 3.0 device ecosystem that is focused on mobility, and provides support for all global broadcast transmission standards," said Mark Aitken, Sinclair's Vice President for Advanced Technology.  "ONE Media 3.0 and Sinclair, as digital innovators and the largest U.S. broadcaster, are committed to "mobile first" services, advanced data delivery as well as emergency and educational connectivity.  Saankhya Labs' software defined technology will allow us to exploit the underlying flexibility of the Next Generation standard in evolving beyond '3.0' in support of the unique needs of large markets like the United States and India."

"We are excited to partner with One Media 3.0 and Sinclair to develop an ATSC 3.0 chipset that is set to revolutionize the mobility broadcast and data delivery services industry. Based on 'Pruthvi,' Saankhya's award winning Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform, the next generation ATSC 3.0 chipset will enable true convergence of networks and devices. The new age chipset bears testimony to Sinclair and Saankhya's commitment to innovate and Make in India,"  said Parag Naik, CEO of Saankhya Labs.

About Sinclair:

Sinclair is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country. Including pending transactions, the Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 173 television stations in 81 markets, broadcasting 513 channels and having affiliations with all the major networks. Sinclair is the leading local news provider in the country, as well as a producer of live sports content. Sinclair's content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.

About ONE Media 3.0, LLC:

ONE Media 3.0, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair, was formed for the purpose of developing business opportunities, products and services associated with the ATSC 3.0 "Next Generation" broadcast transmission standard and TV platform.  ONE Media 3.0's objectives include the planning and buildout of a Single Frequency Network; designing, developing and deploying a national Internet Protocol core network infrastructure; and the buildout of a user collection and measurement system.

About Saankhya Labs:

Saankhya Labs, founded in 2007, is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in the development of Cognitive Software Defined Radio (SDR) communications processors and modules supporting a broad range of emerging data communication standards. Powered by its award-winning Software Defined Radio (SDR) architecture, Saankhya chipsets combine low power, cost efficiency and small footprint, making them ideally suited to build ONE Worldwide platform for applications such as broadcasting, TV White Space (TVWS), Machine to Machine (M2M) communication and Internet of Things (IoT). Company information can be accessed at www.saankhyalabs.com.

SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.