What was billed as a head-to-head showdown between ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast at NAB 2025 turned into something closer to a friendly fireside chat. While Sinclair Broadcast’s Mark Aitken, SVP of Advanced Technology, and Vern Fotheringham, a longtime low-power TV (LPTV) entrepreneur, postured over airwaves, what emerged was more of a reluctant pact – as both sides now quietly accept that neither standard can survive without the other. Instead of throwing punches, Fotheringham and Aitken largely agreed on pretty much everything—at least in technical spirit. Fotheringham pitched a hybrid model where ATSC 3.0 acts as the bearer, and 5G Broadcast becomes the application layer riding on top. “ATSC 3.0 is the broadcast environment. 5G Broadcast is the killer app,”…