Seems to me that if all these stations will be in one "Nite Lite Station", non will be in high definition. Am I right?

Sorry for the confusion in my previous post.

First, the LightHouse Station(s) will begin operation, broadcasting ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS channels in ATSC 3.0.

Let's say channel 34 is the new home of WNYO and is elected the LightHouse station.  It would broadcast WNYO, WKBW, WGRZ, WIVB and WNED programming and it will display their virtual channel number:  49-1 ,7-1 ,2-1 ,4-1 , 29-1, 17-2.

Second, Nite Lite Station(s) will broadcast in the current ATSC 1.0 high definition, whether it is 1080 or 720.  Participants might be restricted to ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS broadcasts only.

Channel 49 is a good candidate for this as it broadcasts in the soon to be phase-out spectrum (RF 49) and it is owned by Sinclair which is involved in the ATSC 3.0 technology.

Third, as each station begins to broadcast ATSC 3.0 on their own new transmitter, their signal from the LightHouse will be eliminated immediately, but their ATSC 1.0 signal will remain on the Nite Lite Station until the station (and FCC) believes enough time has elapsed for consumers to convert to ATSC 3.0 reception; for a maximum of 39 months from the end of the auction. 

I'm speculating that WNED (like many PBS stations) will move to the VHF band which will entitle them to a cash payment from the government.  Let's say WNED begins operation on RF  channel 4  January 2, 2019 sometime overnight; at that moment the RF 49 LighthHouse signal will remove the WNED signal.
 

Thanks for trying to clear up the confusion but I still have a question, so let me detail it a little more.

It was my understanding that a broadcaster using one RF channel in the ATSC 1.0 format had bandwidth for one virtual channel at 1080P. Or they could broadcast in 1080I along with a couple of other virtual channels at 480I or two at 720P.

If that's the case, how does five or more virtual channels, at 720P or better, fit in the bandwidth of one RF channel using ATSC 1.0 technology?

If my understanding is wrong, could you or someone else explain. Thanks

Reply:

ATSC  3.0 technology will allow for many more channels than ATSC 1.0 as well as:

   Greater Capacity.  A system can support a third-party “offloading” business where data, video and other bandwidth-intensive content (such as software updates for devices) canbe transmitted over broadcast networks for “edge” storage or delivery to non-household destinations. Today’s wireless service and streaming videoproviders, for example, have acute needs for greater capacity to cost-effectively move their content as close to their customers as possible.

 Second Screen. The ability to deliver program related second-screen content by either Over the Air (OTA), or OTT distribution and interactive content.

As for ATSC1.0,  unfortunately the sub-channels are not protected by the current proposed rulemaking, only the top 5 networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS are.

An ideal theoretical model would be collaboration among the five
primary network stations in a single market. The Lighthouse Station will have its ATSC 1.0 signal carried by the other partners in the business collaborative.  (page 57 version1.1 - Transition and Deployment Guide)

One of the concerns of ATSC 3.0 is the coverage area. As mentioned previously, there is an allowance of a 2% population loss for each station.
From the linked article:

     Table 1 shows the predicted service comparison for this configuration. Note that compared to ATSC 1.0, although the loss is small, not all the population predicted to receive ATSC 1.0 service will be able receive ATSC 3.0 HD+ service. However, a significantly larger population will get the robust SD and audio ATSC 3.0 service than the ATSC 1.0 service.

 


 

 

In the January 27, 2017, FCC’s Media Bureau Public Notices:

     The Bureau made two alterations to the Constraints proposed in the Transition Scheduling Proposal Public Notice.  First, the Bureau neglected to adopt as a Constraint a prohibition on temporary channel assignments. Instead, the Bureau stated that it would allow stations to voluntarily seek the use of a temporary channel at any time during its assigned phase transition period.
      Second, the Bureau adopted the NAB’s suggestion that, as an alternative to capping aggregate temporary interference levels at 5%, the Bureau will instead attempt to find alternative phase assignments for stations predicted to receive greater than 5% temporary aggregate interference.
     The Bureau also stated that applications for extensions of time, requests for Special Temporary Authority (“STAs”), and requests for waivers of deadlines to discontinue pre-auction operations would be granted on a case-by-case basis – and that applications/requests unlikely to delay or disrupt the transition will be viewed more favorably.

            The FCC today released a draft of a rulemaking aimed at giving TV stations the option of broadcasting with new ATSC 3.0 standard that promises a host of new services and enhancements.  The FCC is expected to launch the rulemaking at its Feb. 23 meeting.

The draft rulemaking also seeks comments on:

• Concerns of MVPDs that broadcasters may force them to carry 3.0 signals by leveraging their retransmission consent rights.

• Possible interference 3.0 signals might cause to 1.0 signals and other services that operate in adjacent bands.

• The FCC's "tentative conclusion" that is it unnecessary to mandate 3.0 tuners in new TV receivers.

• Whether broadcasters should be required to provide on-air notifications to educate consumers about the transition to 3.0.

• How to ensure that deployment of 3.0 will "not negatively impact the post-incentive auction transition process."

      Hundreds of households around the country were equipped with the special digital TV receivers at the launch of testing, and more will be added as the audio watermark trial continues throughout 2017.

The problems I have with the 'indefinite' transition to ATSC 3.0;
(i) not all stations (like PBS) will spend the money to transform to ATSC 3.0 if it is voluntary, and
(ii) the ATSC 1.0 signal will transmit from another transmitter from another location on another frequency than the ATSC 3.0 signal, as explained in the article.