Senate votes to turn down volume on TV commercials

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon become law.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday to require television stations and cable companies to keep commercials at the same volume as the programs they interrupt.

The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor differences between the two versions have to be worked out when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.

Ever since television caught on in the 1950s, the Federal Communication Commission has been getting complaints about blaring commercials. But the FCC concluded in 1984 there was no fair way to write regulations controlling the "apparent loudness" of commercials. So it hasn't been regulating them.

Correcting sound levels is more complicated than using the remote control. The television shows and ads come from a variety of sources, from local businesses to syndicators.

Managing the transition between programs and ads without spoiling the artistic intent of the producers poses technical challenges and may require TV broadcasters to purchase new equipment. To address the issue, an industry organization recently produced guidelines on how to process, measure and transmit audio in a uniform way.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., requires the FCC to adopt those recommendations as regulations within a year and begin enforcing them a year later. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., is the driving force behind the bill in the House.

Its title is the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a co-sponsor, said it's time to stop the use of loud commercials to startle viewers into paying attention. "TV viewers should be able to watch their favorite programs without fear of losing their hearing when the show goes to a commercial," he said.

link

[Heracles 417]

I always thought something was wrong with my digital box, so the bastards here do increase the volume during commercials.

[Nik+Heather 121]

Bah, it can't be that hard to regulate the volume at the end-equipment level. Hell, iPods have had the ability to normalize the volumes between two completely different tracks for a long time.

Also...."artistic intent" of the commercial!!!

[Obama 2012 1,714]

congress passing more pointless legislation....

you don't like that a channel does that, then don't watch that ###### channel.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Bah, it can't be that hard to regulate the volume at the end-equipment level. Hell, iPods have had the ability to normalize the volumes between two completely different tracks for a long time.

Also...."artistic intent" of the commercial!!!

I think normalizing volumes between tracks works by determining a baseline, but that won't make an AC/DC song, for example, sound as quiet as a solo flute track. Classical music is heavily nuanced by the change in volume and if the loudest part is the baseline, it would probably make the quieter parts inaudible. My guess is that's what they mean by 'artistic intent,'

Edited September 30, 2010 by El Buscador

[Ban Hammer 13,360]

must be some of that change we've been promised.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon become law.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday to require television stations and cable companies to keep commercials at the same volume as the programs they interrupt.

The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor differences between the two versions have to be worked out when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.

Ever since television caught on in the 1950s, the Federal Communication Commission has been getting complaints about blaring commercials. But the FCC concluded in 1984 there was no fair way to write regulations controlling the "apparent loudness" of commercials. So it hasn't been regulating them.

Correcting sound levels is more complicated than using the remote control. The television shows and ads come from a variety of sources, from local businesses to syndicators.

Managing the transition between programs and ads without spoiling the artistic intent of the producers poses technical challenges and may require TV broadcasters to purchase new equipment. To address the issue, an industry organization recently produced guidelines on how to process, measure and transmit audio in a uniform way.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., requires the FCC to adopt those recommendations as regulations within a year and begin enforcing them a year later. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., is the driving force behind the bill in the House.

Its title is the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a co-sponsor, said it's time to stop the use of loud commercials to startle viewers into paying attention. "TV viewers should be able to watch their favorite programs without fear of losing their hearing when the show goes to a commercial," he said.

link

Finally the government is doing something meaningful. This is the best news Iv'e heard in a long time.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Senate is finally doing something useful. I dumped a service provider once, only because they jacked the volume up on all the commercials, the loudest being the ad stroking the service providers own ego. What was even more annoying was that they reduced the level for any satellite programming not affiliated with them.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Senate is finally doing something useful. I dumped a service provider once, only because they jacked the volume up on all the commercials, the loudest being the ad stroking the service providers own ego. What was even more annoying was that they reduced the level for any satellite programming not affiliated with them.

so since it's annoying congress is doing something useful?

If you don't like it, turn off the damn tv....

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Actually this rule has been in effect a long time. Programmers lower the volume of programming as a work around, and will continue doing so.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Good to see they didn't try to pass anything that would screw us much before the recess.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

so since it's annoying congress is doing something useful?

If you don't like it, turn off the damn tv....

That post makes like zero sense.

[mawilson 2,133]

I always thought something was wrong with my digital box, so the bastards here do increase the volume during commercials.

Same here...wow. I had no idea they were doing that.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Actually this rule has been in effect a long time. Programmers lower the volume of programming as a work around, and will continue doing so.

Son of a.... Cheeky bastads.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

so since it's annoying congress is doing something useful?

If you don't like it, turn off the damn tv....

Turn off your computer.