Spectrum Co, the ATSC 3.0 spectrum consortium founded by Sinclair and Nexstar Media, has picked John Hane as its president.
Hane comes to the consortium after most recently working in the Washington, D.C., office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where he served as counsel to clients in telecom, broadcast and technology sectors and was “deeply involved in matters related to the development and regulatory approval of ATSC 3.0,” according to a news release.
As president of Spectrum Co., Hane will help promote spectrum aggregation, innovation and monetization and enhance the companies’ abilities to compete in the wireless data transmission sector, which is the stated mission of the group that consortium that formed last year and has since seen Univision pledge to join.
Hane cited recent developments from Sinclair and Nexstar regarding ATSC 3.0, the next-gen TV standards that were finalized earlier this month, as his motivation for joining the consortium.
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"The trial in Dallas is a prime example of this leadership and is a priority for me. As president, I will utilize expertise and relationships built over my career to help broadcasters and station groups deliver new innovations and greater public service to local communities and businesses across the United States. Nationwide deployment of the NextGen network is a necessary first step in what is expected to be the most revolutionary development in broadcasting since the launch of television more than 75 years ago,” said Hane in a statement. “For the first time, television stations' technical infrastructure will be as important to companies and consumers that rely on wireless communications as it is to advertisers, brand managers and political campaigns.”
"John brings a wealth of experience across multiple industries with relevance for NextGen broadcasting. His leadership will be invaluable in opening doors and shaping new businesses through Spectrum Co. John's background and knowledge of spectrum policy and solutions will add new dimensions to fuel the business of spectrum capacity optimization," said Chris Ripley, president and CEO of Sinclair, in a statement.