ITU Approves SCTE's Ad-Insertion Standards

The International Telecommunication Union has approved eight advanced-advertising technology standards developed and published by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, elevating the suite of SCTE 130 specifications to a worldwide standard.

Dubbed ITU-T Recommendation J.380, the standards were developed by the SCTE's Digital Video Subcommittee (DVS) Working Group 5 and published as SCTE 130 Parts One through Eight. Those standards were approved by ITU-T Study Group 9 (television and sound transmission and integrated broadband cable networks) and subsequently submitted to the national and industry sector members for final comment and approval.

The SCTE 130 standards collectively describe the communications, control and data structures for inserting digital ads into video streams in an addressable manner. Using equipment that complies with the specs, operators can dynamically deliver advertising in linear broadcast, video-on-demand or other content based on business rules.

"ITU recognition of SCTE standards benefits the industry worldwide by helping to ensure the interoperability of all elements of cable networks," SCTE senior director of standards Tom Russell said in a statement. "We're grateful to our Digital Video Subcommittee for the work that they dedicated to this important project, and we are planning additional activity by SCTE in the international community."

The ITU is a chartered agency of the United Nations, based in Geneva, Switzerland. SCTE joined ITU as an "associate sector" member in 2011.

In addition, since 1995, the SCTE's Standards Program has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).