Bill would turn the volume down on TV commercials

Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:12PM EDT

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I'm not that partial to lawmakers meddling with the media, but when it comes to muzzling TV ads that are double the volume of the shows they're sponsoring, I'll make an exception.

Broadcasting & Cable reports that Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) has proposed a bill—the aptly named Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM—that would hold the FCC responsible for ensuring that TV commercials "not be excessively noisy."

More precisely, the bill would mandate that the FCC "prescribe a standard to preclude commercials from being broadcast at louder volumes than the program material they accompany."

Indeed, loud TV ads are so pervasive that several technologies have cropped up to combat the problem, such as Dolby Volume (which Chris covered last year). The only problem, however, is that these features typically limit the overall dynamic range of the sound, making the whispers too loud and the explosions too soft.

Now, usually I'm suspicious when legislators start circling the media, hoping to score political points by censoring violent movies, video games, or raunchy music lyrics.

But a law regulating noisy TV commercials—the ones that are so loud that you jump for the remote to turn the volume down—well, that's a cause I could get behind.

Related:
Eshoo Calls for CALM in TV Commercials [Broadcast & Cable]

 

Comments on Bill would turn the volume down on TV commercials

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  • 1 Posted by ken71880 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    finally, what more can be said. I guess that it's sad that it takes a bill for anything to possibly change, rather then the networks who should understand that they are failing cause 1) no good shows and 2) commercials being too annoying, especially when other options are available (online viewing and TV on DVD if you don't mind waiting a few hours or months)

  • 2 Posted by fwpilch on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    While they are at it they should also limit the time to no more then 10 minutes per hour. Both would be some real legislation that would benefit our society.

  • 3 Posted by cgill525@ameritech.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Quite a few years ago we had the same problem and I thought there was FCC regulation for a time? Does anyone remember this?

  • 4 Posted by michaelrowden0 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    They should also do something about those commercials that interrupt TV shows; like that "Bill Ingral Show" or whatever his name is on TBS, they have him interrupting family guy (probably one of their most popular shows that they re-run) all the time and it's so freaking annoying. Some people have even started to revolt against the show on the TBS forums, hopefully they'll listen. Anyway that wasn't really about this bill but maybe it's an idea for the future :D

  • 5 Posted by kbenudiz on Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm usually not in favor of interference by lawmakers but this is one time that I will make an exception. The commercials are way too loud. I have to have the remote handy so I can hit the mute button during the commercials so I don't end of with a headache. Which means I DON'T watch the commercials let alone listen to them so how do they think that affects my buying their products? They are totally wasting their money on these ads!!!!!!!!!!!!

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