Public broadcaster France Television has purchased loudness-processing equipment from German dynamics specialist Jünger Audio. Jünger Audio’s Managing Director Peter Poers said: “Our EBU R128-compliant loudness processing equipment has already been installed at every major broadcast facility in Germany and Switzerland, and we are delighted that France’s public broadcaster has also chosen to endorse our technology. Broadcasters have recognised the benefit of using our proprietary Level Magic adaptive control algorithm and like the fact that it allows them to adjust the audio level from any source at any time, with no pumping, breathing or distortion. As a result it has become the algorithm of choice for line and realtime processing.” The order France Television has placed with Jünger Audio is for a total of 73 loudness processors – 22 D*AP LM4 four-channel units (pictured) and 51 D*AP LM2 two channel units. These are now being rolled out to France Television facilities and will eventually cover all Paris-based channels, plus all 23 regions, with each region having one Jünger Audio processor for its main transmission path and another for back up. France’s CSA decision to link with EBU R128 means that previously unenforceable laws on loudness can now be better defined and therefore enforced. This will protect viewers from the unpleasant and unpopular lurches in the volume of programmes and adverts that have resulted worldwide in so many complaints over the years. In order to comply with the new law, French broadcasters must now ensure that all production and distribution equipment they use is compliant with EBU R128. They must also manage audio correctly and ensure that all material provided by production houses also complies with the new ruling. The new law is being introduced in three phases: normalisation of short programmes from 1 January 2012, of live programmes by June 2012, and of all programmes by the end of 2012. www.junger-audio.com
