TASA History.

Digital stereo became the de facto sound standard for trailers in 1996. Since the audio volume of the digital formats is not as constrained by distortion as analog, volume levels began to climb. Excessive trailer volume became the number one complaint in movie theatres. Responding to patron complaints, the National Association of Theatre Owners asked Ioan Allen of Dolby Laboratories to address the problem. Mr. Allen developed the concept of Leq_m measuring. Robin Bransbury, a Dolby engineer, designed the first Leq_m meter. Dolby sponsored a demonstration of the new meter on August 3rd, 1997. Mark Harrah, a post production supervisor, coined the name TASA, designed the trailer finishing protocol, and organized the studios to adopt the standard.

The TASA Committee (comprised of trailer finishers from the studios, as well as representatives from Dolby, DTS, SDDS, NATO and the MPAA), met over the course of two years to refine the standard. The TASA Standard was adopted by all of the studios as well as the MPA by April 1st, 1999.

Since TASA was designed to be implemented in stages, the first TASA Upper Volume Limit was Leq_m 87.

The first TASA Certificate was issued on May 29th, 1999 for the Warner Bros. trailer: "Wild Wild West."

The TASA Upper Volume Limit was lowered to Leq_m 86 on February 1st 2000.

The TASA Upper Volume Limit was lowered to Leq_m 85 on June 1st, 2001.