THE SILENT REVOLUTION IN TELEVISION

                                                    THE BIG QUESTION: Does Everyone Comply with This Rule?

The short answer is: Major national channels do, but there are some exceptions and perceptual differences.

1. National Channels and Legal Obligation: National broadcasters in Turkey must comply with these rules as they are under RTÜK supervision. They face significant fines if they do not. Modern broadcast systems use "loudness processors" that automatically analyze all incoming content (including commercials) and adjust it to the standard -23 LUFS level. Meaning, no matter how "loud" an agency makes a commercial, the system "turns it down" on air.

2. The Perception: "But Commercials Still Feel Louder!" Even if the rules are technically followed, there is a scientific reason why viewers still perceive commercials as louder: Dynamic Range.

• A Series/Film: Contains whispers, dialogues (low audio levels), and sudden explosions (high audio levels). The audio level varies over a wide range. Its average is -23 LUFS.

• A Commercial: Its goal is to grab attention in 30 seconds. Audio engineers heavily "compress" the sound. There are almost no quiet moments; the sound constantly hovers around that -23 LUFS average.

CONCLUSION: Even though both have the same average loudness level, our ear perceives the commercial's sound—which is constantly high and has no dynamic range (difference between quiet and loud)—as more "intense" and "louder." The rule has not been broken, but a perceptual difference has emerged.

3. Areas Where Compliance is Weak:

• Local and Smaller Channels: They may violate these rules due to inadequate technical infrastructure or lack of supervision.

• Digital Platforms: The "loudness war" has now shifted from television to digital.

  • YouTube: Uses its own standard (usually -14 LUFS) and normalizes content, but it's different from the TV standard.

  • Netflix, BluTV, etc.: They set their own content standards (e.g., Netflix -27 LKFS).

  • Social Media (Instagram, TikTok): There is no complete standardization regarding loudness on these platforms yet, and audio levels can be completely uncontrolled.

Yes, in television broadcasting, the "Loudness" system is not a luxury, but a technical and legal necessity for viewer comfort and broadcast quality. Major broadcasters comply with this rule; however, perceptual differences and the digital world setting its own rules show that the "loudness wars" continue, albeit in a different form.

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