Telos Alliance
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment manufacturing |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Steve Church |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
| Products | IP audio codecs, talkshow systems, transceivers, streaming audio encoders, audio processing devices, mixing consoles, audio distribution networks, loudness control solutions, broadcast delay equipment, automation software |
Telos Alliance is a U.S.-based producer of audio equipment tailored for broadcasting facilities, with its main office located in Cleveland, Ohio. The organization is composed of six distinct divisions:
- Telos Systems manufactures IP audio codecs, talkshow systems, transceivers, and streaming audio encoders.
- Omnia Audio creates audio processing devices designed for AM, FM, HD Radio, and Internet streaming platforms.
- Axia Audio engineers mixing consoles and audio distribution networks utilizing the Livewire IP networking standard.
- Linear Acoustic provides solutions for television loudness control, metering, monitoring instruments, mixing, and metadata management.
- 25-Seven Systems focuses on broadcast delay equipment, time management solutions, and processing technologies.
- Minnetonka Audio Software delivers software-driven automation tools for media production environments.
History and founder
Established in 1985 by Steve Church, a radio engineer and talk show host, Telos Alliance initially operated under the name Telos Systems. The company's first innovation was the Telos 10 telephone hybrid that incorporated digital signal processing technology.
Church's visit to Germany’s Fraunhofer Society resulted in Telos becoming the pioneering U.S. licensee of MP3 technology, enabling long-distance remote broadcasts via ISDN lines—an efficient alternative to leased lines and satellite connections.
At the 2003 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Telos unveiled its Livewire AoIP technology along with products such as mixing consoles and analog/AES interface nodes. To promote compatibility between AoIP devices from different manufacturers, Telos played a key role in developing the AES67 interoperability standard.
In recognition of his contributions, Church received the Radio Engineering award from the National Association of Broadcasters in 2010. He resigned as CEO in 2011 and passed away in 2012 after a battle with brain cancer.
Following Church's leadership period, Telos broadened its product portfolio across its divisions: Telos Systems continued advancing broadcast telephone systems and IP audio codecs; Axia Audio focused on networked mixing consoles and routing controls; Omnia Audio concentrated on audio processing and encoding for streaming services. These units operated collectively under the Telos Systems brand umbrella.
Growth through acquisition included adding Linear Acoustic—specializing in TV loudness control and monitoring tools—which prompted rebranding as The Telos Alliance. Later, Boston-based 25-Seven Systems, known for broadcast delay and time management products, was acquired. In 2015, Minnetonka Audio Software joined the Alliance, enhancing its offerings with file-based software automation solutions for media production workflows.
By 2016, Linear Acoustic and Minnetonka Audio were merged into The TV Solutions Group to assist broadcasters navigating transitions to advanced television technologies.