2026 is about LPTV Opportunities and Excitement!

January 1, 2026
By: Frank “SuperFrank” Copsidas, Founder & Chairman of the LPTVBA Board of Directors

As we enter 2026, we could not be more excited about the future of LPTV! 285 applications were received by the FCC for a major modification move of a transmitter site of up to 75 miles. That is huge and we are thrilled that so many stations took advantage of this opportunity.

In March, the next big opportunity becomes a reality as we have the opportunity to both apply for brand new LPTV Construction Permits and move our transmitter facilities any distance.

These three opportunities have not been seen by LPTV for well over a decade. It is an opportunity for LPTV small businesses to bloom and thrive.

In 2025, we also saw the common sense gift of no mandate for ATSC 3.0, particularly for LPTV. The considerations are:

1.      The very costly conversion of a facility without any subsidy

2.      The true lack of ATSC 3.0 receivers in the marketplace (less than 20%)

3.      No long-term commitment from television manufacturers to keep tuners in tv’s

4.      The requirement for annual paid licenses for ATSC 3.0 stations to be received by ATSC 3.0 certified receivers (meaning the end of free tv and an annual fee for you!)

I am off to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week to see what is on the horizon and speak with television manufacturers. We expect to find some very interesting developments that could greatly benefit LPTV and 5G Broadcast.

2026 will also see 5G Broadcast roll out around the world including the U.S. We will be testing the 5G Broadcast Core, the brains behind 5G Broadcast. There are countries in the EU and elsewhere that will launch 5G Broadcast, particularly for emergency alerts.

I am excited about our upcoming LPTVBA webinar, 2026 The Year of Opportunity and Excitement. As Amy likes to say, “Membership has its privileges,” as this event will be for LPTVBA members only. Join us as we detail what the year ahead looks like and offer you some strategies to take advantage of these opportunities. Details and registration information are in this newsletter.

On behalf of the Board of the LPTVBA, Amy, and myself, best wishes for a truly exciting 2026 with many surprises to come!