TELEVISION

SYSTEM DESIGN
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
 SOUND ISOLATION
The internal and external noise sources can greatly affect the noise levels in a building. It is
therefore essential to control such noise problems to the acceptable noise levels in order to
maintain a good acoustic environment.

 SITE SELECTION
The required internal and external noise climate in a broadcasting studio set up depends a
lot on the site location. All the perceived noise levels in a chosen site depends on the intensity of
the noise source and should be measured to ascertain the range of the background sound le v e l.
Such external and internal noise sources should be w ell controlled to achieve the desired noise
levels .
 INTERNAL PLANNING
In the internal planning of a broadcasting and television
studio center, quieter studios should be separated from
noisier areas by less critical spaces acting as barriers to the
exterior noise.

Observation windows and doors form acoustic weak links in these spaces should therefore be
specially designed to reduce any sound transmission through them. Any spaces above any studio should
be provided with resilient floors to reduce any impact sound transmission to the studio. The studio should
have suspended ceiling to increase sound insulation from spaces above it.
 BACKGROUND SOUND LEVELS
Background noise levels are taken to determine the best position of a building on site . The
most quiet part of the site can be found out by the noise survey. The acoustical environment in
an occupied space is the resultant o f the noise arriving at the space from both internal and
external noise sources.

Its mandatory to maintain an ambient acoustical background for studio spaces at 25-30 dB.
This range should be maintained and any unwanted noise should be isolated from these spaces
to achieve a good indoor acoustic environment.

There is often a change of external noise climate with time, usually increasing year after
year. This may be due to progressive developments around the building location . Such future
developments should be ascertained e a rly enough to avoid significant effects on the level of the
noise climate.
TELEVISION STUDIOS
From earliest days of television production until presently, the need to obtain good pictures
is allowed to override the need for good acoustics. The acoustics of television studios is not as
critical as those in broadcasting studios since the performers have to be given a tolerable
acoustic atmosphere in order to produce good performance.
STUDIO TYPES
1. General purpose studio
2. Theatre type studio 
3. Interview and announcers studio
4. Dubbing suites

Each o f these studios are provided with ancillary technical roars and stores around them.
The access to the studios is through sound lobbies provided with sound proof doors.
GENERAL PURPOSE & THEATRE
TYPE STUDIOS

 SPATIAL USE
These two types of television studios are used for all types o f programs. The main
difference between the two studios is that the general purpose studio has no permanent audience
seating but only makeshift audience participation while theatre type studio has provision for
permanent audience seating.
 SIZE
These studios are usually very large with volumes o f up to 10,000m^3 . A maximum clear
height over the working part o f the studio o f 8m must be provided to elaborate the lighting grid
and the cyclorama scenery gear.

 CONTROL ROOMS
Each studio is provided with four control rooms for vision , sound, lighting and camera
controls. An apparatus room is also provided.
Vision, sound and lighting control rooms are arranged in a suite and must have good visual link
through observation windows to the studios. Out o f necessity, the control suite is located one-
storey higher than the studio floor to give a wide view over the whole studio space.
 Camera control and apparatus roan does not require arty visual connection to the studio and
can only be located near the control roans to avoid long runs of intercom circuit links.
The size of the control roan is governed by the size of the technical apparatus which they
should accommodate.
 OTHER ROOMS
Make up rooms, changing roans and property stores must be provided close to the studio. The
provision for audience may require public access, toilet facilities , cloak rooms, foyers and even
associated bars and restaurants.

 LIGHTING
The studio set up must be flexible enough to provide room for the lighting grid. Lighting in a
television studio influences the viewers interpretation of size, shape, distance, texture and even
pictorial environment o f the overall picture.

 VENTILATION
The powerful lighting system used in the television studios dissipate a lot of heat to the studio.
This heat output must be reduced by effective artificial ventilation system. It therefore be acmes
essential to use chilled air supply air - conditioning system to lower down the temperatures to
comfortable levels .
 INTERVIEW AND
ANNOUNCERS STUDIOS

 SPATIAL USE
Announcers studio is used for news casting while interview studio are for small interviews
and small group discussions.
 
 CONTROL ROOMS

One control cubicle is sufficient though a continuity suite formed with other control rooms.
This may comprise of part studio, control cubicle, central vision room, and sound and vision
quality check room. All these the sound and vision quality check rooms should be visual with
each other and to the studio.

 LIGHTING

A lighting grid is not required for these types o f studio; spotlights: the front, back and fill lights
are strategically produce and required surface tones on the subject.

 VENTILATION

Artificial ventilation is required to reduce the heat output.

DUBBING SUITES

Dubbing suites are projection theatres whose control cubicles and recording rooms have
good unobstructed view of the screen. They are used for previewing films and dubbing
commentaries from taped programs.
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS
CENTER
SYSTEM DESIGN
 Connection box- panel containing all the
jacks that connect control room
equipment such as cameras, microphones
and intercoms.
 Audio monitor- device that reproduces
the audio portion of an on-air program to
monitor its sound quality.
 Equipment rack- Cabinet used to store
control room technical equipment.
 Musical advisers- Production assistants
for the musical portion of a program.
  Bass trap- device used to mute or eliminate certain low
audio frequencies in a room.
 Audio technician- person responsible for sound
recording.
 Audio console- console made up of all the devices
used to control, adjust and mix sound.
 Production adviser- production associate who is
responsible mainly for overseeing the proper flow of a
program.
 Script assistant- Assistant to the producer who is
responsible mainly for the technical aspects of a
program’s sequences.
 Producer- Person in charge of the technical and artistic direction while a movie or a television program is being shot.

 Monitor wall- Set of screens on which various camera shots are projected as requested by the producer; it allows the producer to
switch from one shot to another during the program.
 Video switcher technician- Person responsible for switching from one camera to the other as requested by the producer.

 Technical producer- Person responsible for all technical elements of a production, including sound and picture quality.
 Lighting board- console housing all the equipment used to
control and adjust the spotlights.
 Lighting control room- room housing a set of devices used
to vary the intensity of the spotlights.
 Camera control unit- console housing all the equipment
used to control and adjust the cameras.
 Auxiliary facilities room- room in which various technical
and administrative activities are carried out.
 Microphone boom- arm from which a microphone is
suspended and positioned above the performers’ heads and
thus off-camera.

 Camera- filming device whose optical system separates light into the three primary colors and converts it into electronic signals
for broadcast.
 Lighting grid access- area providing access to the catwalk above the lighting grid.

 Audio control room- room with the control and monitoring equipment required for sound recording.

 Production control room- Area equipped to select and compose pictures to be broadcast or recorded; it is also used to coordinate
activities in other control rooms and the studio.
 Lighting/camera control area- room equipped to control
camera shots and lighting.
 Studio floor- Room designed for recording television
program sounds and images; it might be soundproof or
not.
DIAGRAM