HELP! Nigerian Broadcasting Standard!

8salacious9 · Feb 27, 2013

So i got asked to do 2 music videos which is fine, I use a canon 600D.

Problem is this, client wants it on Nigerian TV (African Gospel song)

First of all i have never tried to deliver to TV standards? anyone got any methods or links?

Secondly i read that Nigeria is PAL but doesnt state what the broadcast specifications are? however my friend told me having worked in south africa that the standards are shit compared to uk standards, so anyone also have a clue on this?

Some would say why take it on if you dont know what your doing, but the method blocking me is just TV format so i would like to learn this

LasVegasIRA · Feb 27, 2013

I have a friend that's a Nigerian prince that I could ask. He's not the best with returning phone calls, but he emails me all the time...

8salacious9 · Feb 27, 2013

LasVegasIRA said:
I have a friend that's a Nigerian prince that I could ask. He's not the best with returning phone calls, but he emails me all the time...

I know him too, he asked for my card details to donate to his charity for his dying leopard.. havent heard back from him since passing my details over :s

hope its ok.

Alcove Audio · Feb 27, 2013

You need to contact the specific network(s) or the governing/regulatory body.

A quick Google came up with the Nigerian Television Authority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Television_Authority

The websites for both the NTA and TelAfric are both down currently.

PaulGriffith · Feb 27, 2013

Google produced this link:

http://countrycode.org/tv-standards

Looks like Nigeria is PAL. As far as HD or SD that's station specific.

Alcove Audio · Feb 27, 2013

Picture is fairly easy; it's the audio standards that can get tricky.

TheArtist · Feb 27, 2013

It's Africa.

Just send them anything the best quality you can get, they'll do the rest.

welsh_gambit · Feb 28, 2013

8salacious9 said:
I know him too, he asked for my card details to donate to his charity for his dying leopard.. havent heard back from him since passing my details over :s

hope its ok.

is this the same guy who sits in the atm machines and distributes cash when you put your card in? I heard he had a heart attack and we all need to send in our bank acc. no. and sort codes to get him help :lol:

8salacious9 · Feb 28, 2013

Alcove Audio said:
Picture is fairly easy; it's the audio standards that can get tricky.

Well Client is providing me the Music track, does the track have to be in a certain standard?

Alcove Audio · Feb 28, 2013

Why not let the client worry about the distribution requirements unless you are specifically contracted to conform to specific standards?

8salacious9 · Feb 28, 2013

Alcove Audio said:
Why not let the client worry about the distribution requirements unless you are specifically contracted to conform to specific standards?

So then what would i deliver to the client? I was told i could give them a High bitrate MP4 file? as nigerias broadcasting service was less than par?

PaulGriffith · Feb 28, 2013

Unless they want it on a specific tape format, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Give them a high quality MP4 and ProRes, both with stereo audio that's hot but doesn't clip, and you'll probably be fine.

Offer a bars/slate/countdown version too. Minute of bars and tone, 20 second slate and a 10 second countdown that goes black at two seconds with an audible blip at one second. That's how I always deliver shows and spots in the US and have yet to have a station complain.

AudioPostExpert · Mar 2, 2013

8salacious9 said:
Well Client is providing me the Music track, does the track have to be in a certain standard?

In western countries there are very strict and precise delivery requirements for the audio. There's no way of knowing if Nigeria has implemented some European (EBU) broadcasting standards for audio or not. You need to contact the broadcaster and ask for their delivery specifications.

PaulGriffith said:
Offer a bars/slate/countdown version too. Minute of bars and tone, 20 second slate and a 10 second countdown that goes black at two seconds with an audible blip at one second. That's how I always deliver shows and spots in the US and have yet to have a station complain.

Sorry, I don't believe you! The US has very strict requirements for broadcast audio as laid out by the ATSC, even more so in the last year, as precise audio delivery specs are no longer just ATSC recommendations but are a legal requirement (the CALM Act). The only way your audio mixes have not been kicked back is if the station has paid for your mixes to be processed by a professional, which would be a strange waste of resources, or if it's a particularly tiny local station which previously slipped under the radar (before the CALM Act).

BTW, you are doing your "pops" incorrectly, more evidence that someone must be being paid to fix your mistakes. The "audible blip" you are talking about is called a "2 pop", it's called a "2 pop" because it is placed in sync with a visual reference exactly 2 seconds before the FFOA. In the case of NTSC delivery that would be 1 frame of -20dBFS 1kHz tone, 60 frames before the FFOA. In the case of PAL, which I believe Nigeria uses, the "2 pop" would be 1 frame of -18dBFS 1kHz tone 50 frames before the FFOA.

G