As of January 1 2013, television commercials broadcast in Australia will be required to comply with a new industry standard known as OP-59 as set out by Free TV. The standard aims to address excessive contrast in loudness of television commercials versus programs to improve viewer experience.

What does this mean for my ads?

• All TVCs on air in the New Year must be -24 LKFS, ie. OP-59 compliant.
• Clappers should still state that material is OP-48 compliant. You may also include a note that material is OP-59 compliant to help identify audio mixes, although it is not mandatory.
• During December 2012, as a courtesy Adstream will quality control your TVC for OP-59 in preparation for January 1 2013.

Need help adjusting the loudness of your TVCs?
Adstream has in-house audio correction facilities and can make your commercials loudness compliant for broadcast. Please contact the Adstream Client Service team on 1300 4 Adstream (237 873) to find out more.

Click here to download the Measurement and Management of Loudness document supplied by Free TV.

Please note that the stance of each broadcaster regarding implementation dates and grace periods varies between each, so it’s best to contact the individual networks to find out what they will/won’t accept.