Variations in Program Loudness and Strategies for Loudness Management

Abstract

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.1770 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sup> 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.