European standardization

Conventionally, the task of standardization is entrusted to organizations that have national, regional or international recognition at government level. These are usually characterized by complex committee structures and protracted consultation and approval procedures. A growing reaction to the conflict between high costs / long delays and the demands of technology for reduced expense and shorter lead times has been the marked increase in the use of "Publicly Available Specifications". In many cases these are still the product of committee-based processes, but freed from certain time-consuming formalities, In a few instances, the "standard" is a proprietary solution from a commercial supplier. The "Bangemann report" and similar initiatives have challenged the conventional standardization bodies to examine their structures and processes with a view to becoming much more responsive to present-day needs. This paper describes the current European standardization activity in the broadcasting sphere and some of the changes that can be observed. A list of useful World Wide Web addresses is included.