Spectrum allocation key issue at ABU technical meeting

The critical issue of reserving spectrum for future broadcasting was the main focus of the ABU Technical Bureau’s mid-year meeting.

Twenty-one members attended the meeting in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to discuss issues including including spectrum allocation, loudness, Integrated Broadcast-Broadband systems, training and digitalisation in the region.

“The main focus of the meeting was on spectrum requirements for future broadcasting,” said Dr Amal Punchihewa, ABU Director Technology, with next year’s meeting of the World Radiocommunication Conference WRC-15 firmly in the minds of all members.

Bureau Chairman Dato’ Abu Bakar bin Ab Rahim commended the work done by NHK-Japan which led to an ITU standard in sound for Ultra High Definition TV. ITU-R BS.2051-0 was released in February 2014 presenting an advanced sound system for program production.

There was discussion about carrying out web-based surveys on the current status of spectrum requirements, digitalisation and the use of loudness control activities of broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Punchihewa said that, while noting previous studies done by the ABU on loudness, it was agreed that a task force would conduct further studies with the assistance of ABU Technology to assess the use of loudness control, the value of respective target loudness in LKFS and awareness of the issue.

The Bureau noted a very successful Digital Broadcast Symposium in March 2014 and Dr Punchihewa presented a proposal for the theme of DBS-2015. The chairman asked bureau members to propose a three-word theme on spectrum within the next few weeks.