Media-related abbreviations
Reference index
A
A adult [film censorship]
A ampere
å ångstrom
A2 Antenne 2 [France]
AAAA American Association of Advertising Agencies
AAAA Associated Actors and Artists of America
ABC American Broadcasting Companies [sic]
ABC Associated British Cinemas
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation
ABES Association for Broadcast Engineering Standards [US]
ABPC Associated British Picture Corporation
ABS Association for Broadcast Standards [US]
ABU Asian-Pacific Broadcasting Union
AC alternating current
ACA Association of Canadian Advertisers
ACBB American Council for Better Broadcasts
ACCT Ad hoc Committee for Competitive Telecommunications [US]
ACLU American Civil Liberties Union
ACRTF Association canadienne de la radio et de la télévision de langue française
ACT Action for Children's Television [US]
ACTT Association of Cinematograph Television and allied Technicians [UK] èBECTU
ACTV advanced compatible television
ACVL Association of Cinema and Video Laboratories [US]
ADC analogue-to-digital conversion
ADI area of dominant influence
ADP automatic data processing
ADSL asynchronous digital subscriber line
AES Audio Engineering Society [US]
AF audio frequency
AFA Advertising Federation of America
AFC automatic frequency control
AFCCE Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers [US]
AFCEA Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association [US]
AFM American Federation of Musicians
AFMA American Film Marketing Association
AFPF Association Française de Production de Films
AFN American Forces Network
AFRTS American Forces Radio and Television Service
AFTRA American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
AFTS American Forces Television Services
AGB Audits of Great Britain
AGC automatic gain control
AGMA American Guild of Musical Artists
AGVA American Guild of Variety Artists
AI artificial intelligence
AIM Accuracy in Media [US]
AIP Association of Independent Producers [UK]
AIR All-India Radio
AIR Asociacion Interamericana de Radiodifusion
AIRC Association of Independent Radio Contractors [UK]
AIT Agency for Instructional Television [US]
AITD Australian Institute of Training and Development
ALGOL algorithmic language
AM amplitude modulation
AMA American Marketing Association
AMC American Multi-Cinema
AMP Association of Media Producers [US]
AMPAS Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences [US]
AMPTP Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers [US]
ANA Association of National Advertisers [US]
ANARC Association of North American Radio Clubs
ANG American Newspaper Guild
ANPA American Newspaper Publishers Association
ANSI American National Standards Institute
Antiope Acquisition Numérique et Télévisualisation d'Images Organisées en Page d'Ecriture [teletext]
AP Associated Press
APBI Associated Press Broadcasters Inc.
APRS Association of Professional Recording Studios [UK]
AR aspect ratio
ARD Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Öffentlichrechtlichen Rundfunk anstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
ARF Advertising Research Foundation [US]
ARMS All Radio Methodology Study [US]
ARRL American Radio Relay League
ARU Acoustical Resistance Unit
ASA American Standards Association
ASC American Satellite Company
ASC American Society of Cinematographers
ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
ASCE Association of Sound and Communication Engineers [US]
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIFA Association Internationale du Film d'Animation
ASNE American Society of Newspaper Editors
AT&T American Telephone and Telegraph Company
ATC American TV and Communications
ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee [US]
ATV Associated Television [UK]
AV audio-visual
AVA Audio Visual Association [UK]
AVAMA Audio Visual and Allied Manufacturers Association
AVC automatic volume control
AVD Association of Video Dealers [UK]
AWR Adventist World Radio
AWRT American Women in Radio and Television
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B
b&w black and white
BABT British Approvals Board for Telecommunications
BAFTA British Academy of Film and Television Arts
BAR Broadcast Advertisers Report [US]
BARB Broadcasters' Audience Research Board [UK]
Barco Belgian-American Radio Corporation
BASF Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik
BASIC Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation (to 1927: Company)
BBFC British Board of Film Censorship/Classification
BBM Bureau of Broadcast Measurement [US]
BBS bulletin board system
BCC Broadcasting Corporation of China
BCNZ Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand
BEA Broadcast Education Association [US]
BEAMA British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers' Association
BEAB British Electrotechnical Approvals Board
BEEAB British Electrical and Electronic Approvals Board
BECTU ?
BEMA Business Equipment Manufacturers Association [US]
BER bit error rate
BET Black Entertainment Television [US]
BETA Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance [UK]
BFBS British Forces Broadcasting Service
BFI British Film Institute
BFMA Broadcast Financial Management Association [US]
BFTPA British Film and Television Producers Association
BIAC Broadcast Interassociation Council [US]
BIB Board for International Broadcasting [US]
BICIAP Broadcasting Industry Council to Improve American Productivity [UK]
BIFA British Industrial Film Association èBISFA
BIOS basic input/output system
BISFA British Industrial and Scientific Film Association èIVCA
BKS British Kinematograph Society èBKSTS
BKSTS British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society [UK]
BMA British Marketing Association
BMI Broadcast Music Inc.
BMRB British Market Research Bureau
BNC ?
BPA Broadcasters Promotion Association [UK]
BPI British Phonographic Industry
BPS bits per second
BR Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Radio)
BRC Broadcast Rating Council èEMRC
BRD Bundesrepublik
BREEMA British Radio and Electronic Equipment Manufacturers Association
BRH Bureau of Radiological Health [US]
BROADCAP Broadcast Capital Fund [US]
BRT Belgische Radio en Televisie
BRU Broadcasting Research Unit
BS British Standard
BSAC British Screen Advisory Council
BSB British Satellite Broadcasting
BSC binary synchronous communications
BSC British Society of Cinematographers
BSEE British Society of Electronic Editors
BSI British Standards Institution
BSkyB British Sky Broadcasting
BSS broadcast service satellite
BST British Summer Time
BT British Telecommunications
BTDA British Television Distributors Association
BUFVC British Universities Film and Television Council
BVA British Video Association
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C
C+ Canal Plus [France]
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network
C-TAM Cable Television Administration and Marketing Society [US]
CAAA Canadian Association of Advertising Agencies
CAB Canadian Association of Broadcasters
CABLEPAC Cable Industry Political Action Committee [US]
CAD computer-aided design
CAMM Catholic Apostolate of Mass Media
CARF Canadian Advertising Research Foundation
CARTA Catholic Apostolate of Radio, Television and Advertising
CASA Car Audio Specialists Association [US]
CATA Community Antenna Television Association
CATV community antenna television
CAV constant angular velocity [video discs]
CB citizens' band
CBA Catholic Broadcasters Association
CBA Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
CBI Confederation of British Industry
CBN Christian Broadcasting Network
CBS Columbia Broadcasting System
CBT computer-based training
CBU Caribbean Broadcasting Union
CC common carrier
CCA Cable Communications Association [UK]
CCAT Common Carrier Association for Telecommunications [US]
CCBS clear channel broadcasting service
CCC Citizens Communications Center [US]
CCD charge-coupled device
CCETT Centre Commun d'Etudes de Télédiffusion et Télécommunications
CCIR Consultative Committee for International Radio/Comité Consultatif International de Radiodiffusion
CCITT Consultative Committee for International Telephony and Telegraphy/Comité Consultatif
International Télephonique et Télégraphique
CCMM Council on Children, Media and Merchandising [US]
CCR camera-cassette recorder (aka camcorder)
CCSB clear channel broadcasting service
CCTA Canadian Cable Television Association
CCTV closed-circuit television
CCU camera control unit
CD compact disc
CD-I compact disc interactive
CD-R compact disc record(er)
CD-ROM compact disc read-only memory
CD-RW compact disc rewrite(r)
CD-V compact disc video
CEA Cinema Exhibitors Association [UK]
CED capacitance electronic disc
CEG Consumer Electronics Group [of EIA]
CEGB Central Electricity Generating Board
CEMA Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association [US}
CEN Central Educational Network
CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation
CES Consumer Electronics Show
CET Council for Educational Technology [UK]
CFA Communauté francophone en Afrique [French-speaking Africa]
CFC Cinematograph Films Council
CGA colour graphics adaptor
CGI computer graphics imaging
CIE Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (International Commission on Illumination)
CIRC cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon code
CIRT Camera Nacional de la Indústria de Radio y Televisión [Mexico]
CLT Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion [cf RTL]
CLV constant linear velocity
CMA Country Music Association
CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor
CNC Centre Nationale de la Cinématographie [France]
CNN Cable News Network
COBOL common business-oriented language
codec coder-decoder
COLTAM Committee on Local Television Audience Measurements [US]
COMPACT Committee to Preserve American Color Television [US]
COMPO Council of Motion Picture Organisations [US]
COMSAT Communications Satellite Corporation
CONTAM Committee on National Television Audience Measurements [US]
CONUS contiguous/continental United States [ie: excluding Alaska and offshore territories]
COPE Cadena de Ondas Populares Española [=Popular Spanish Radio Network]
CP construction permit
CPA Chartered Public Accountant
CPB Corporation for Public Broadcasting
CPM cost per thousand
CP/M control program/microprocessor
CPS characters per second
CPSC Consumer Product Safety Commission [US]
CPU central processing unit
CRP circular polarisation
CRC cyclic redundancy check
CRI colour reversal intermediate [film]
CRT cathode ray tube
CRT Copyright Royalty Tribunal [US]
CRTC Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission
CSCA Conference of State Agencies
CSI compact source iodide [lighting]
CSO colour separation overlay
CST Commission Supérieure Technique du Cinéma Française
CTA Cable Television Association [UK] èCCA
CTAC Cable Technical Advisory Committee [US]
CTIC Cable Television Information Center [US]
CTS clear to send [modems]
CTV Canadian Television Network
CTV colour television
CTVC Churches Television Centre [UK]
CTW Children's Television Workshop
CU close-up
CUB Council for UHF Broadcasting [US]
CUG closed user group
CVBS composite video, blanking and sync
CVC compact video cassette
CWA Communications Workers of America
CWS Cooperative Wholesale Society
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D
DAB digital audio broadcasting
DAC digital to analogue conversion
DAD digital audio disc
DADSC Digital Audio Disc Standards Conference
DAT digital audio tape
dB decibel
DBA Daytime Broadcasters Association [US]
DBP Deutsche Bundespost
DBS direct broadcasting by satellite, direct broadcasting satellite
DC direct current
DFS Deutsches Fernsehen
DGA Directors Guild of America
DICE Digital International Conversion Equipment
DIF data interchange format
DIL dual in line
DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung
DJ disc jockey
DLF Deutschlandfunk
DMA designated market area [US broadcasting]
DMA direct memory access
DOCSIS data over cable service interface specification
DOS digital operating system
DPCM differential pulse code modulation
DR Danmarks Radio
DRAM dynamic random access memory
DRAW direct read after write
DSE domestic satellite earth station
DSI digital speech interpolation
DSL digital subscriber line
DSR Danmarks Statsradiofonien
DTH direct-to-home (satellite transmission)
DTI Department of Trade and Industry [UK]
DTP desktop publishing
DTT digital terrestrial television
DVA Discovision Associates
DVB digital video broadcasting
DVD digital video disc èdigital versatile disc
èDVD
DVR digital video recording
DW Deutsche Welle
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Reference index
E
EAO European Audiovisual Observatory
EAROM electrically alterable read-only memory
EAVA European Audio-Visual Association
EBR electron beam recording
EBS Emergency Broadcasting System
EBU European Broadcasting Union
ECCA European Cable Communications Association
ECS European Communications Satellite [=Eutelsat]
EDTV extended definition television
EEN Eastern Educational Network [US]
EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
EEROM electrically erasable read-only memory
EETPU Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union [UK]
EFP electronic field production
EFTA European Free Trade Area
EGA enhanced graphics adaptor
EHF extremely high frequency
EIA Electronic Industries Association [US]
EIAJ Electronic Industries Association of Japan
EIRP effective isotropic radiated power
ELSPA European Leisure Software Producers Association
EMC electromagnetic compatibility
EMI Electrical and Musical Industries
EMI electromagnetic interference
EMRC Electronic Media Rating Council [formerly BRC]
ENG electronic news gathering
EPROM electrically programmable read-only memory
EQ equalisation
ERT Elliniki Radiophonia Tikleorassi [Greek Broadcasting Organisation]
ESA European Space Agency
EST Eastern Standard Time
ETSA European Television Services Association
ETV educational television
EVR Electronic Video Recording
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F
f focal length
FACT Federation Against Copyright Theft [UK]
FBI Federation of British Industry [later CBI]
FCC Federal Communications Commission
FDD floppy disk drive
FDM frequency-division multiplexing
FEBC Far East Broadcasting Company
FET field-effect transistor
FIAF Fédération Internationale des Archive de Film
FIAPF Fédération Internationale des Associations des Producteurs de Film
FIDO Film Industry Defence Organisation [UK]
FKGT Fernseh- und Kinotechnischen Gesellschaft
FM frequency modulation
FNN Financial News Network [US]
fps frames per second
FR3 France Régions 3
FRC Federal Radio Communications èFCC
FSK frequency shift keying
FSS fixed satellite service
FT Financial Times [newspaper]
FTP file transfer protocol
FTSE [pron footsie] Financial Times/Stock Exchange [share index]
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G
G general [film censorship]
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Gb gigabyte
GB Great Britain
GDP gross domestic product
GDR German Democratic Republic
GFR German Federal Republic [=BRD]
GHz gigahertz
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
GNP gross national product
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H
H horrific [film censorship]
HDD hard disk drive
HDLC high-level data link control
HDTV high definition television
HF high frequency
hh household/s
HK Hong Kong
HR Hessischer Rundfunk
HTML hypertext mark-up language
HTV Harlech Television [now formally HTV]
HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee [US]
Hz hertz
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I
IAC Institute of Amateur Cinematographers [UK]
IBA Independent Broadcasting Authority èITC [UK]
IBA Israeli Broadcasting Authority
IBC International Broadcasting Convention
IBI International Broadcasting Institute [later IIC]
IBM International Business Machines
IC integrated circuit
ICI Imperial Chemical Industries [UK]
iDTV integrated digital television
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IEE Institution of Electrical Engineers [UK]
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IEEIE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Incorporated Engineers
IERE Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers [UK]
IF intermediate frequency
IFPI International Federation of Phonogram and Videogram Producers
IHF Institute of High Fidelity [US]
IIC International Institute of Communications
ILR Independent Local Radio [UK]
I/O input/output
IP Internet protocol
IPPA Independent Programme Producers Association [UK]
ips inches per second
ISFA International Scientific Film Association
ISO International Standards Organisation
ISP Internet service provider
ISTD international subscriber trunk dialing
IT information technology
ITA Independent Television Authority èIBA [UK]
ITA International Tape/Disc Association [US]
ITC Independent Television Commission [UK]
ITCA Independent Television Companies Association [UK]
ITFS instructional television fixed service
ITN Independent Television News [UK]
ITS insertion test signal
ITU International Telecommunications Union
ITV Independent Television [UK]
ITVA International Television Association èIVCA
IV interactive video
IVCA International Visual Communications Association
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J
JCII Japan Camera Inspection Institute
JFET junction field-effect transistor
JICCAR Joint Industry Committee for Cable Audience Research [UK]
JICNARS Joint Industry Committee for National Readership Survey [UK]
JICRAR Joint Industry Committee for Radio Audience Research [UK]
JICTAR Joint Industry Committee for Television Audience Research [UK]
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
JVC Victor Company of Japan
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K
kHz kilohertz
kW kilowatt
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L
LAN local area network
LBC London Broadcasting Company
LCD liquid crystal display
LED light-emitting diode
LF low frequency
LNB low noise block converter
LP long-play [audio]
LSI large-scale integration
LVR longitudinal video recording
LW long wave
LWT London Weekend Television [UK]
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M
MAC multiplexed analogue components
MATV master antenna television
Mb megabyte
MCA Music Corporation of America
MCGA multi-colour graphics array
MCPS Mechanical Copyright Protection Society
MCU medium close-up
MF medium frequency
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer
MHz megahertz
MIDI musical instrument digital interface
MIPS million instructions per second
MMC Monopolies and Mergers Commission [UK]
MMDS multichannel multi-point (or microwave) distribution service
MOS metal oxide semiconductor
MPAA Motion Picture Association of America
MPEAA Motion Picture Export Association of America
MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group
MTV Music Television [former name]
MUSE Multiple Sub-Nyquist Sampling Encoding
MVDS microwave video distribution service
MW medium wave
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Reference index
N
NAB National Association of Broadcasters [US]
NARTB National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters [US]
NATO National Association of Theatre Owners [US]
NATPE National Association of Television Program Executives [US]
NATTKE National Association of Theatrical, Television and Kine Employees [UK]
NBC National Broadcasting Company [US]
NBS National Bureau of Standards
NCTA National Cable Television Association [US]
ND neutral density [filter]
NDR Norddeutscher Rundfunk
NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai [Japanese Broadcasting Corporation]
NICAM near-instantaneously companded audio multiplex
NIVC National Interactive Video Centre [UK]
NOVRAM non-volatile random access memory
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting [=Norwegian State Broadcasting]
NTSC National Television Standards Committee
NVoD near video on demand
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O
OB outside broadcast
OCR optical character recognition
OEM original equipment manufacturer
OIRT Organisation International de Radio et Télévision
OOPS object-oriented programming system
ORF Österreichischer Rundfunk [Austrian Broadcasting]
ORTF Organisation Radiodiffusion Télévision Française
OS operating system
OTS Orbital Test Satellite
OUP Oxford University Press
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P
PAL phase alternation line
PBS Public Broadcasting System [US]
PC personal computer
PC AT personal computer advanced technology
PCB printed circuit board
PCM pulse code modulator
PC XT personal computer extended technology
PG parental guidance [film censorship]
PIP picture-in-picture
pixel picture element
PLA programmable logic array
PMG Postmaster General [UK government]
PO Post Office
PPM peak programme meter
PPV pay-per-view
PRC pre-recorded cassette
PROM programmable read-only memory
PRS Performing Rights Society [UK]
PSS packet switch stream; telecoms transmission mode
PTT posts, telegraph and telephone
PVC polyvinyl chloride
PVR personal video recorder; hard-disk based device
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Q
QI quartz iodide [lighting]
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R
R restricted [film censorship]
RAE Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior
RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
RAID redundant array of inexpensive disks; form of data storage
RAM random access memory
RBI Radio Berlin International
RCA Radio Corporation of America [later formally called RCA Corporation]
RDS Radio Data System
rf radio frequency
RFE Radio Free Europe
RGB red-green-blue
RIAA Radio Industry Association of America
RIAS Radio in Amerikanischen Sektor
RISC reduced instruction set computer
RL Radio Liberty
RNE Radio Nacional de España [Spanish National Radio]
ROM read-only memory
rpm revolutions per minute
RPS Royal Photographic Society [UK]
RRI Radio Republik Indonesia
RTBF Radiodiffusion Télévision Belge Francophone
RTE Radio Telefis Éireann
RTE Radio Trans Europe
RTL Radio Télévision Luxembourg
RTP Radio Televisão Portugesa
RTS Royal Television Society [UK]
RTVE Radio Televisión Española
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S
SABC South African Broadcasting Corporation
SBC Swiss Broadcasting Corporation
SBCA Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association [US]
SCART Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseurs
SDR Suddeutscher Rundfunk
SECAM séquentiel couleur à mémoire
SER Sociedad Española de Radiodifusion
SERT Society of Electric and Radio Technicians
SFA Scientific Film Association [UK]
SFD Society of Film Distributors [UK]
SFR Sender Freies Berlin
SFW Südwestfunk
SHF super high frequency
SINPO strength, interference, noise, propagation, overall merit [code reporting international radio reception]
SITA Société International de Télécommunications Aeronautiques
SITE Satellite Instructional Television Experiment [India]
SLICE selective line insertion communication equipment
SLR single lens reflex
SMATV satellite master antenna television
SMPE Society of Motion Picture Engineers èSMPTE
SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
SNG satellite news gathering
SNR signal-to-noise ratio
SR Sveriges Radio [Swedish Radio]
SRO standing room only
STD subscriber trunk dialing
STV Scottish Television
STV Sveriges Television
S-VHS Super VHS
SVR Super Video Recorder [Grundig]
SW short wave
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Reference index
T
TAM Television Audience Measurement [Ireland]
TBS Turner Broadcasting System [US]
TCM Turner Classic Movies
TDK ?
TDM time-division multiplex
TEA Theatrical Equipment Association [US]
TEAC Tokyo Electronic Acoustic Company [company's formal name is TEAC Corporation]
TF1 Télévision Française 1
TK telecine
TROS ? [Dutch broadcaster]
TRT Turkish Radio Television Corporation
TSW Television South-West
TTL through the lens
TTTV Tyne-Tees Television [UK]
TUC Trades Union Congress
TV television
TVRO television receive only
TVS Television South
TWR Trans World Radio
TX transmission
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U
U Universal Pictures
U universal [film censorship]
UA United Artists
UAC United Artists Corporation
UHF ultra-high frequency
Unesco United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UPI United Press International
URTNA Union de Radiodiffusion et Télévision Nationale en Afrique
UV ultra-violet
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V
V volt
VARA ? [Dutch broadcaster]
VBI vertical blanking interval
VCR videocassette recorder
VCP videocassette player
VCPS Video Copyright Protection Society [US]
VDP video disc player
VDU visual/video display screen
VGA video graphics array
VHF very high frequency
VHS Video Home System
VHS-C VHS compact
VITS vertical insertion test signal
VLF very low frequency
VLP video long play [early name for Laservision video disc]
VLSI very large-scale integration
VOA Voice of America
VoD video on demand
VPS Video Programming System
VTM Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij [Flemish Television Company]
VTR videotape recorder
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W
W watt
WAP wireless application protocol
WARC World Adminstrative Radio Conference
WDR Westdeutscher Rundfunk
WIMP windows, icons, mouse and pulldown menus
WYSIWYG what you see it what you get
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Y
YLE Oy Yleisradio [Finnish state broadcaster]
YTV Yorkshire Television [UK]
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Z
ZDF Zweites Deutsches Rundfunk [Second German Television]
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Reference index
