Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management
Wide variations in program-to-program loudness form the basis of many viewer complaints. The first step toward a strategy for loudness management is an understanding of the problem and its magnitude. Television programs are typically delivered without a specification for loudness. As a result, the loudness of television programs can vary significantly. Some broadcast networks have requested that programs be delivered at a specified loudness. Have program producers been meeting the delivery specification? For programs delivered where loudness has not been specified, how much does loudness vary program-to-program? — In this analysis, 77 primetime television programs were recorded for analysis to determine their loudness. Loudness was measured using the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R)BS.17701 standard. The analysis shows how consistent loudness is for a network. For networks that specify a target loudness, the analysis shows how well the target is being met.
- Print ISSN
- 1545-0279
- Electronic ISSN
- 2160-2492
- Published
- 2010-04
- Content type
- Original Research
- DOI
- 10.5594/J11395