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ITU receives Emmy Award for new audio broadcast standard
Recommendation ITU-R BS.1770 standardizes
loudness metering on TV
Geneva, 12 January 2012 – ITU will receive the prestigious
Emmy Award from the US National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the
2012 Consumer Electronics Show today in Las Vegas for the “Standardization of
Loudness Metering for Use in Broadcast Audio”.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is dedicated to the
advancement of television broadcasting and the promotion of creative leadership
for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television
industry.
Interview with David Wood, European Broadcasting Union |
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The annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Award recognizes the
ground-breaking work on the worldwide standardization of loudness metering for
use in broadcast audio, which the Academy considered as outstanding and showing
excellence in engineering creativity. ITU-R Recommendation BS.1770 on
“Algorithms to measure audio programme loudness and true-peak audio level” was
elaborated over a decade as a result of the dedication of many specialists
including Craig Todd of Dolby Laboratories, USA; Gilbert Soulodre of
Communications Research Centre, Canada; and Spencer Lieng of the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation. The standard was finalized during the last study
period within ITU-R Working Party 6C under the Chairmanship of David Wood of the
European Broadcasting Union. The pertinent algorithm and the agreed parameters
are now contained in the ITU-R Recommendation approved by ITU Member States,
giving worldwide guidance on loudness metering.
ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré expressed satisfaction that ITU has been
internationally recognized for its work in setting new standards in broadcast
television. “The Emmy Award exemplifies the close relationship that ITU enjoys
with its membership and partners in industry,” Dr Touré said. “By working
together under the aegis of an intergovernmental platform we are able to develop
standards that enhance the quality of ICTs and their accessibility to a
worldwide audience”.
“ITU’s pioneering work has led to many innovations in broadcast television,”
said François Rancy, Director of ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau, in Las Vegas
to receive the Emmy award. “The ITU-R Recommendation BS.1770 on Loudness
Metering in Audio Broadcasting will improve the experience of watching
television for viewers worldwide as they will no longer have to adjust the
volume on their sets while switching channels or watching commercials.”
“There are many applications where it is necessary to measure and control the
perceived ‘loudness’ of audio signals,” said Christoph Dosch, Chairman of ITU-R
Study Group 6, which focuses on Broadcasting Services. “Examples of this include
television and radio broadcast applications where the nature and content of the
audio material changes frequently. In these applications the audio content can
continually switch between music, speech and sound effects, or some combination
of these. It can also change between various audio or audio-visual sources, for
example in international programme exchange. Such changes in the content of the
programme material can result in significant changes in subjective loudness, and
the new standard on loudness metering will make it easier for television
viewers.”
Dosch added that the matter of subjective loudness is also of great
importance to the music industry where dynamic processing is commonly used to
maximize the perceived loudness of a recording.
For
more information, please contact:
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Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations
and Public Information
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Grace Petrin
Promotion Officer,
ITU
Radiocommunication
Bureau
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