ITU receives Emmy Award for CALM Standard

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The International Telecommunications Union is receiving an Emmy Award for the Recommended Practice underlying the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act. ITU is being recognized by U.S. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today for the “Standardization of Loudness Metering for Use in Broadcast Audio.”

ITU-R Recommendation BS.1770 on “Algorithms to measure audio program 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 Corp.

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.