The National Association of Broadcasters and Pro Sound News have teamed up to offer the Surround Broadcast Conference on April 16 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. This new conference will focus on the production of digital, multi-channel broadcast audio and related issues including capturing and mixing, the consistency of the listener experience and transmission and distribution of 5.1-channel audio, which will accompany high definition video.

The Surround Broadcast Conference will feature some of the biggest names in broadcast audio and surround technology. Leading companies in the development of broadcast surround tools will offer presentations and demos dispersed between sessions.

Conference panelists scheduled to participate include Jim Starzynski, principal audio architect of the NBC Universal Advanced Engineering group; Jim DeFilippis, senior vice president and principal engineer for the FOX Entertainment Group; Robert Seidel, vice president of engineering and advanced technology for CBS Television; Sean Richardson, post production manager and audio engineer for Starz-Encore; and Michael Nunan, director of post production for CTV; among others.

The HDTV Audio Conference provides real-world advice and techniques on capturing, mixing, and transmitting multi-channel audio for digital television. The demand for information is more critical than ever, with the deadline for stations to convert to HD less than a year away. The transitions are well underway at the network and distribution level, with lessons learned to share and issues like the consistency of the viewer experience still being refined. Many production facilities are already providing a high quality 5.1 audio experience from their projects, while others still need to extend their repertoire to multi-channel sound. At the local level, signal flow and infrastructure are significant issues for many stations, as well as developing a production philosophy that lets local production stand up against network fare. The HDTV Audio Conference is in its 5th year and co-developed for the first time this year by Pro Sound News and the NAB, with Dolby Labs returning as the premier sponsor. The conference brings pioneers in the transition to multi-channel digital broadcast audio together to discuss the breaking issues and practical solutions to the challenges faced at all levels of the HDTV broadcast infrastructure, making the conference an essential informational and networking event.