Congress turns down the volume on TV commercials

The Senate passed a bill late Thursday that would create limits on the volume of television commercials and put the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in charge of regulating them.

The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) is an attempt to put an end to TV commercials that are many times louder than regular programming, a problem that has annoyed viewers for decades. The bill passed the House in December and will have to go back there for one last vote before President Obama is expected to sign it into law. 

“Every American has likely experienced the frustration of abrasively loud television commercials,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who introduced the bill in the Senate. “While this may be an effective way for ads to grab attention, it also adds unnecessary stress to the daily lives of many Americans. Last night’s action in the Senate will help end this annoying practice.”

The bill's original author, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), said Thursday that she intended for the legislation to give control of sound back to consumers. The bill would limit commercials to the same level of volume as the shows they interrupt. Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports, endorsed the bill last year.

“It's about time we turned down the volume on loud commercials that try to startle TV watchers into paying attention. This is a simple step that will keep ads at the same decibel level as the programs they are interrupting," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of the bill's co-sponsors. "TV viewers should be able to watch their favorite programs without fear of losing their hearing when the show goes to a commercial."

The bill would require the FCC to come up with a regulation within one year that would comply with international standards for digital television while limiting the volume on TV ads. Broadcast stations, cable carriers and other video content providers that demonstrate the new rules would pose a hardship will be able to apply for a waiver to avoid the regulations.