ADVANCED TELEVISIONS SYSTEMS COMMITTEE APPROVES REVISIONS TO A/85

July 26, 2011

The Advanced Television Systems Committee membership has approved revisions to its Recommended Practice A/85, Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television. The revised version of A/85 includes a new Annex J: "Requirements for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness of Commercial Advertising in Digital Television," suitable for the FCC’s citation in their rules as per the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act. In response to consumer complaints about loud commercials the CALM Act was enacted into law on December 15, 2010, requiring the Federal Communications Commission to adopt the relevant portions of ATSC A/85. On May 27, 2011, the FCC released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking as required by the CALM Act. As mandated by the statute, the proposed rules will apply to TV broadcasters, cable operators and other multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"). A/85 focuses on audio measurement, production, and postproduction monitoring techniques, and methods to effectively control loudness for content delivery or exchange. It recommends methods to effectively control program-to-interstitial loudness, discusses metadata systems and use, and describes modern dynamic range control. This RP also includes specific information on loudness management at the boundaries of programs and interstitial content. ATSC Recommended Practice A/85:2011, 25 May 2011, is the successor document to Recommended Practice A/85:2009, 4 November 2009.

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