NUGEN Audio CEO To Lead NAB Debate

Dr. Paul Tapper, CEO of NUGEN Audio, is set to lead a key industry discussion at the NAB Show 2026, exploring whether dialog intelligibility could become the next major compliance standard for broadcasters and streaming platforms.

The session, titled 'Is Dialog Intelligibility the New Loudness?', will take place on Tuesday, April 21, from 10:10 to 10:30 a.m. in Room N256 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, as part of the Broadcast Engineering and IT (BEIT) Conference.

During the presentation, Dr. Tapper will examine the growing focus on dialog clarity, as audiences increasingly report frustration with unclear speech in television and streaming content. The session will draw comparisons to the early 2000s, when widespread complaints about inconsistent audio levels led to regulatory intervention and the introduction of international loudness standards that are now embedded in broadcast workflows.

"Twenty years ago, loudness was the dominant viewer complaint, and the industry responded with measurable standards," said Dr. Tapper. "Today, poor dialog intelligibility is often cited as the primary frustration for audiences. The question now is whether we are approaching a similar turning point."

nugenaudio.com