Articles

The London Loudness Summit 2011

Graham Heath MIPS reports on a specialist one-day summit held in London in December 2011

So what is all this loudness malarkey about? As a TV Sound Supervisor I try to tickle PPM6s on the meters and, hopefully, make a decent enough balance that’ll earn me my next crust. However, I’m constantly frustrated by the ‘loudness’ of network junctions, adverts, and even VT packages that are often unheard until the dress run (if you’re lucky enough to get a dress!), and sometimes not even then.

IBS is changing to IPS

The Institute of Broadcast Sound (IBS), the industry body founded in 1977 to represent professionals working in the field of audio for broadcast, is to rename itself The Institute of Professional Sound. The change will take effect from January 1st, 2012.

Quality Saga pt 4

Following the reply from Lord Patten we subsequently received this letter from the BBC Director General, Mark Thompson: The IBS is formulating a response, and will publish it here, once sent.

Quality Saga pt 3

The reply from Lord Patten to the letter (see Quality Saga pt 2) Thank you for your letter and for enclosing the letter written by Louise Willcox, headed BBC — Doing Less, But Making It Sound Better. I note that at the Institute you have become increasingly concerned about what you feel is a decline [...]

Quality Saga pt 2

A letter from the IBS to Lord Patten, Chairman BBC Trust

RE: BBC – DOING LESS, BUT MAKING IT SOUND BETTER

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Quality Saga pt 1

The IBS has written to the BBC Trust Chairman, Lord Patten of Barnes on the subject of lack of training and falling operational standards in sound. The chain of correspondence which followed is posted here in the interests of wider dissemination.

The initial contact was a covering letter from  Simon Bishop, IBS Chairman. Read on…

Mentoring report – June 2011

Its been about a year since we started the scheme and 6 months since the first mentoring pairs were set up and, so far, the scheme seems to be going well.

First things first… the numbers.

Consultation: The Future use of UHF Spectrum in Bands IV & V

The IBS response to OFCOM consultation on future use of bands IV and V.

Notes From The Front Row

Conrad Fletcher MIBS describes the technical challenges of relaying a live stage performance via satellite to a cinema audience around the world.

Great Drama – But Can You Hear What They’re Saying Now?

Louise Willcox MIBS, Executive Committee Member and volunteer to the Listener and Viewer’s TV Audibility Group, reports on her experiences in a major recent exercise to assess the difficulties of dialogue audibility across a range of programmes and broadcasters.

The Voice of the Listener and Viewer’s TV Audibility Group (TVAG), formed in 2007, has been pushing for an objective survey to prove to broadcasters that inaudible dialogue in television programmes had become a major problem…