FCC To Advertisers: Turn The Volume Down!

David Goetzl, Sep 30, 2010 04:09 PM

Advertisers may soon have the volume turned

down. The Senate has passed legislation
mandating that the FCC regulate the volume on
TV ads, ensuring the sound on commercials does
not overly exceed the decibel level during the
program.  

The bill has already passed the House and once

the two bodies patch up some minor differences
-- likely after Nov. 2 -- it will head to the
president to become law. Rhode Island Democrat
Sheldon Whitehouse introduced the legislation in
the Senate.

Democrats Jay Rockefeller and Chuck Schumer were among the co-sponsors of the "Commercial
Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act" in the body.

"Every American has likely experienced the frustration of abrasively loud television
commercials," Whitehouse stated. "While this may be an effective way for ads to grab attention, it
also adds unnecessary stress to the daily lives of many Americans."

Rockefeller added: "This common sense bill will make sure advertisers can't just blast
advertisements at consumers at unbearable volume levels."

The FCC has gotten complaints about the decibel level on ads since the 1960s. It has publicly
listed the matter as one of the top consumer complaints it has received multiple times since 2002.
But it has had no regulatory power.

The House passed CALM legislation in December, where California Democrat Anna Eshoo was
the lead sponsor. She said it "give(s) the control of sound back to the consumer, where it belongs."

While advertisers may be unhappy, the onus will fall on networks, stations and cable companies to
comply with FCC orders.

 
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