Chronomedia Reference department
Reference department Chronomedia Quotations department Media department

Reference > Abbreviations

Media-related abbreviations

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z   

  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] see BECTU
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
AFN American Forces Network
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 [German first television federation of regional channels]
ARF Advertising Research Foundation [US]
ARMS All Radio Methodology Study [US]
ARP Association des Realisateurs Producteurs [France]
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
ASO analogue switch-off
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]
AVMS Audio-Visual Media Services [EU Directive]
AWR Adventist World Radio
AWRT American Women in Radio and Television

top of page

  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
BD Blu-ray Disc
BDA Blu-ray Disc Association
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 Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union [UK]
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 see BISFA
BIOS basic input/output system
BISFA British Industrial and Scientific Film Association see IVCA
BKS British Kinematograph Society see BKSTS
BKSTS British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society [UK]
BLIC Bureau de Liaison des Industries Cinématographiques [France]
BLOC Bureau de Liaison des Organisations du Cinéma [France}
BMA British Marketing Association
BMG Bertelsmann Media Group
BMI Broadcast Music Inc.
BMRB British Market Research Bureau
BNC Bayonet Neill Concelman [connector for coaxial cable]
BPA Broadcasters Promotion Association [UK]
BPI British Phonographic Industry
BPS bits per second
BR Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Radio)
BRC Broadcast Rating Council see EMRC
BRD Bundesrepublik Deutschland
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

top of page

  C     

C+ Canal Plus [France]
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network
C-TAM Cable Television Administration and Marketing Society [US]
CA conditional access
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]
C&A compression and authoring [software replication]
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[tograph] Exhibitors Association [UK]
CEA Consumer Electronics Association [US}
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 [UK]
CGA colour graphics adaptor
CGI computer graphics imaging
CIC Cinema International Corporation
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]
CORBA Common Object Request Broker Architecture [computing]
CP construction permit
CPA Chartered Public Accountant
CPAC Cable Parliamentary Channel [Canada]
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] see CCA
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

top of page

  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
DLC downloadable content
DLF Deutschlandfunk
DMA designated market area [US broadcasting]
DMA direct memory access
DMR digital re-mastering [Dolby propriety system]
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
DRM digital rights management
DSE domestic satellite earth station
DSI digital speech interpolation
DSL digital subscriber line
DSR Danmarks Statsradiofonien
DTB download-to-burn
DTH direct-to-home (satellite transmission)
DTI Department of Trade and Industry [UK]
DTO download-to-own
DTP desktop publishing
DTR digital television recorder
DTT digital terrestrial television
DVA Discovision Associates
DVB digital video broadcasting
DVD digital video disc/digital versatile disc see DVD
DVR digital video recorder
DW Deutsche Welle

top of page

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
EC European Commission
ECCA European Cable Communications Association
ECS European Communications Satellite [=Eutelsat]
EDTV extended definition television
EEA European Economic Area [=EU + EFTA without Switzerland]
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 Association
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 [former name]
EMI electromagnetic interference
EMRC Electronic Media Rating Council [formerly BRC]
ENG electronic news gathering
EPG electronic programme guide
EPROM electrically programmable read-only memory
EQ equalisation
ERT Elliniki Radiophonia Tikleorassi [Greek Broadcasting Organisation]
ESA European Space Agency
ESB Enterprise service bus [computing]
EST Eastern Standard Time
EST electronic sell-through (digital retail)
ETSA European Television Services Association
ETV educational television
EU European Union
EVR Electronic Video Recording

top of page

  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 see FCC
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]

top of page

  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
GPO General Post Office [UK]
GSM global system for mobile communications

top of page

  H     

H horrific [UK film censorship]
HD high definition
HDD hard disk drive
HD DVD high-definition DVD [defunct brand]
HDLC high-level data link control
HDMI high-definition multimedia interface
HDTV high-definition television
HF high frequency
hh household/s
HK Hong Kong
HR Hessischer Rundfunk
HSPA high-speed packet access
HTML hypertext mark-up language
HTTP hypertext transfer protocol
HTV Harlech Television [now formally HTV]
HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee [US]
Hz hertz

top of page

  I     

IAC Institute of Amateur Cinematographers [UK]
IBA Independent Broadcasting Authority see ITC [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]
IMT International Mobile Telecommunications [service]
I/O input/output
IP internet protocol
IP intellectual property
IPPA Independent Programme Producers Association [UK]
IPRED Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (EU law)
IPTV internet protocol television
ips inches per second
ISAN International Standard Audiovisual Number
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 see IBA [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]
ITV interactive television
ITVA International Television Association see IVCA
IV interactive video
IVCA International Visual Communications Association

top of page

  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

top of page

  K     

kHz kilohertz
KNCC Kuwait National Cinema Company
kW kilowatt

top of page

  L     

LAN local area network
LBC London Broadcasting Company
LCD liquid crystal display
LED light-emitting diode
LF low frequency
LG Lucky Goldstar [brand and company names before renaming in 1995] 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]

top of page

  M     

MAC multiplexed analogue components
MATV master antenna television
Mb megabyte
MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service
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
MMOG masssively multi-player online game
MMRPOG masssively multi-player role-play online game
MOD manufacturing-on-demand
MOS metal oxide semiconductor
MPAA Motion Picture Association of America
MPEAA Motion Picture Export Association of America
MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group
MPPDA Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association [US]
MS-DOS Microsoft digital operating system
MTV Music Television [former name]
MUSE Multiple Sub-Nyquist Sampling Encoding
MVDS microwave video distribution service
MW medium wave

top of page

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
NIFKI (All-Union Cinema and Photographic Research Institute) [USSR] 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

top of page

  O     

OB outside broadcast
OCR optical character recognition
OCTV Orthodox Christian Television [Arabic]
OEM original equipment manufacturer
Ofcom Office of Communications [UK]
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
OTA over-the-air
OTS Orbital Test Satellite
OUP Oxford University Press

top of page

  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
PDF portable document format
PFE Polygram Filmed Entertainment
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
PVD previously viewed disc
PVR personal video recorder [hard-disk based device] synonymous with DTR and DVR

top of page

  Q     

QI quartz iodide [lighting]

top of page

  R     

R restricted [film censorship]
RADA Royal Academy of Dramatic Art [UK]
RADA Rules on the Amount and Distribution of Advertising
RAE Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior
RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
RAID redundant array of inexpensive disks; form of data storage
RAM random access memory
RAPO Russian Anti-Piracy Organisation
RBI Radio Berlin International
RCA Radio Corporation of America [later formally called RCA Corporation]
RDS Radio Data System
REST Representational State Transfer [computing]
rf radio frequency
RFE Radio Free Europe
RGB red-green-blue
RGU revenue-generating unit
RIAA Radio Industry Association of America
RIAS Radio in Amerikanischen Sektor [German broadcaster]
RISC reduced instruction set computer
RL Radio Liberty
RNE Radio Nacional de España [Spanish National Radio]
ROI return on investment
ROM read-only memory
rpm revolutions per minute
RPS Royal Photographic Society [UK]
RRI Radio Republik Indonesia
RSN regional sports network [US television]
RTBF Radiodiffusion Télévision Belge Francophone [Belgium]
RTE Radio Telefis Éireann [Ireland]
RTE Radio Trans Europe
RTL Radio Télévision Luxembourg
RTP Radio Televisão Portugesa
RTMP Real-Time Messaging Protocol
RTMPE encrypted Real-Time Messaging Protocol
RTMPTE tunneled encrypted Real-Time Messaging Protocol
RTS Royal Television Society [UK]
RTVE Radio Televisión Española [Spain]

top of page

  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
SCCE Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
SD standard definition; Screen Digest
SDR Suddeutscher Rundfunk
SDTV standard-definition television
SECAM séquentiel couleur à mémoire
SEM search engine marketing
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]
SKU stock-keeping unit
SLICE selective line insertion communication equipment
SLR single lens reflex
SMATV satellite master antenna television
SMPE Society of Motion Picture Engineers see SMPTE
SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
SNG satellite news gathering
SNR signal-to-noise ratio
SOA service-oriented architecture [computing]
SOAP simple object access protocol [computing]
SR Sveriges Radio [Swedish Radio]
SRO standing room only
STB set-top box
STD subscriber trunk dialing
STV Scottish Television
STV Sveriges Television
S-VHS Super VHS
SVR Super Video Recorder [Grundig]
SW short wave

top of page

Reference index

  T     

TAM Television Audience Measurement [Ireland]
TBN Trinity Broadcasting Network [US]
TBS Turner Broadcasting System [US]
TCM Turner Classic Movies
TDK Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo [name changed to TDK Corporation in 1983]
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
TIM Telecom Italia Media
TK telecine
TLA three-letter acronym
TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights [EU Agreement]
TROS Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting [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
TVDVD DVD of television programming
TVRO television receive only
TVS Television South
TVWF Television Without Frontiers [EU Directive]
TWR Trans World Radio
TX transmission

top of page

  U     

U Universal Pictures
U universal [film censorship]
UA United Artists
UAC United Artists Corporation
UAE United Arab Emirates
UCB United Christian Broadcasters [US}
UHF ultra-high frequency
UIP United International Pictures
UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service
Unesco United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UPI United Pictures International
UPI United Press International
URTNA Union de Radiodiffusion et Télévision Nationale en Afrique
UV ultra-violet

top of page

  V     

V volt
VARA [Dutch broadcaster founded by Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs but called Omroepvereniging VARA since 1957]
VBI vertical blanking interval
VCP videocassette player
VCR videocassette recorder
VCPS Video Copyright Protection Society [US]
VCS Video Computer System [Atari games console]
VDP video disc player
VDU visual/video display screen
VGA video graphics array
VGIK All-Union [later All-Russian] State Institute of Cinematography [USSR/Russian film school]
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
VPF virtual print fee [digital cinema funding mechanism]
VPS Video Programming System
VTM Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij [Flemish Television Company]
VTR videotape recorder

top of page

  W     

W watt
WAP wireless application protocol
WARC World Adminstrative Radio Conference
WDCMA wideband code division multiple access
WDR Westdeutscher Rundfunk
WIMP windows, icons, mouse and pulldown menus
WMG Warner Music Group
WWW World Wide Web
WYSIWYG what you see it what you get

top of page

  Y     

YLE Oy Yleisradio [Finnish state broadcaster]
YTV Yorkshire Television [UK]

top of page

  Z     

ZDF Zweites Deutsches Rundfunk [Second German Television]

top of page

Reference index

Page updated 24 September 2010
© David Fisher