The first annual meeting of working party 6A (WP6A), whose activities encompass matters associated to terrestrial broadcasting systems, took place from last 25 January to 3 February in Geneva.
The gathering was attended by 73 delegates from 34 administrations and 25 representatives of industry, universities and other organisations.
The proceedings led to the approval of ten documents for consideration at the level of study group 6 (SG6). Regarding television, the following stand out: a new report on gauging the quality of end-to-end digital broadcasting systems and the revision of a report on ultra-high definition TV (UHDTV) broadcasting via terrestrial digital TV platforms.
With respect to audio broadcasting, a highlight was the revision of a report examining the impact of audio signal processing and compression techniques in frequency modulated (very high frequency) audio broadcasting. The group is still assessing the impact that the different multiplex power values have on service quality.
Regarding protection and in the wake of various contributions concerning ongoing work in the scope of activities by the World Health Organisation, the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection and the International Telecommunication Union Standardisation Sector (ITU-T), among others, on the impact of radio frequency signal exposure on human health, a group was set up to monitor work conducted at that level.
Noteworthy with respect to spectrum sharing matters was the revision of report BT.2344 of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector, with inclusion of technical parameters and operational characteristics of applications associated to services ancillary to programme making/services ancillary to broadcasting in the production of services in UHDTV.
The results of the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) held last November were also analysed at the meeting, as were agenda items for the next such conference (WRC-19) and the work assigned to WP6A during the first WRC-19 preparatory meeting.
Plans call for the next WP6A meeting to be held in October 2016 in Geneva.
