It would be hard to find anyone who watches TV that hasn't experienced the ear splitting sound level of some commercials. Just yesterday I was watching a rerun of one of the Harry Potter movies and every time they went to a commercial I had to reach for my remote control to stop my ears from hemorrhaging. You know how it goes. You'll be engrossed in a dialogue scene when all of a sudden some guy is screaming at the top of his lungs about some product that "is not sold in stores." Which actually means that it's a product so crappy that no store manager is willing to risk giving it valuable shelf space.
I checked out this phenomenon and learned that the FCC does have rules about maximum sound levels. And if you ask TV station operators they'll tell you that commercials are no louder than the programs. But it turns out that this answer is a politicians answer. Yes, it is true that the maximum sound level for commercials is no higher than for TV programs or movies. The difference comes when you measure the average sound level of a program compared to a commercial. Sound levels for TV programs vary significantly. This is done for dramatic effect. Commercial producers have no interest in subtlety. They want your attention so they max out the sound level for the entire commercial. So the average sound level of TV programs is much lower than for TV commercials.
Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D) Cal. Introduced a bill last year called the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, H.R.6209, or CALM. It would order the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create and enforce federal regulations requiring that television advertisements not be excessively noisy. Unfortunately this legislation hasn't seen any movement since it was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in June 2008.
I read where several electronics companies are offering or preparing to offer sound metering devices that would mitigate the problem. But this isn't new. I remember the same type of technology reared it's head back in the 80's but then disappeared. Never underestimate the influence of TV advertisers over the market they support. I'm quite sure that as soon as advertisers got wind of the technology they were quick to put a stop to it. Why else would such technology vanish in such a way? And it's no surprise that H.R. 6209 has been sitting in a committee for 9 months. My money is on the CALM legislation simply fading away from neglect.
So in the end the big money advertisers will get their way and we consumers will be left playing "can I get to the remote before I'm blown out of my chair." Therefore we consumers are left with the only weapon we have. And that is what we choose to buy. If you want to do something then stop buying goods from advertisers who blast away at us. And write, call, or email these folks and tell them why you are not buying their products. Remember the mother who got McDonalds commercials pulled from airing during the TV show "Married with Children." So even one person can have an effect.
Boycott loud commercials.
*************
Devin Barber, Politics Correspondent
Devin's column, "Left Of The Right" published weekly or more to Gather Essentials: Politics is a Blue Collar Democrats take on current political news.
Devin was raised by proud Roosevelt Democrats. Being the son of parents counted among the throng of Americans displaced by the Great Depression has given Devin a deep rooted passion for causes dealing with the poor and the working class.
You can find all of Devin's columns at http://gather.com/leftoftheright
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Comments: 44
I used to have a smart TV. It automatically ajusted the volume for commercials. It broke and I have never been able to find another one.
different levles for different channels violates FCC rules... report them.
It's a shame that something like this has to be regulated, but if you give corporate American an inch they will take a yard.
I've Had Enough Of The Screammercials!!!!
I absolutely agree. I am completely mesmerized that anyone buys anything from that guy.
Of course I've never bought anything from him either.
You are right, that is why I think we need to excercise our right to communicate directly with these companies and use the only effective weapon we have... our money and where we choose to spend it.
//Its no business of the Federal government to get involved..// Actually, regulation of what goes onto the PUBLIC airwaves is one of the FCC's mandates. The fact that commercials have become increasingly annoying shows just how much power the FCC regulations have -- they're much more interested in regulating how much you can see of what body parts.
And no hating on Harry Potter! I'm a loud and proud fan of the books and movies.
It's difficult to boycott loud commercials when they are all loud and one must buy some of the products advertised. Some of the most obnoxious commercials are the drug adds. They are not only loud but downright repulsive as well. But many of us must purchase some of those drugs.
You put it quite succinctly "they're much more interested in regulating how much you can see of what body parts."
It's the same on the internet. I've seen more popups and crazy ads here of late. Heck, on my MSN homepage, there was an ad for a cellphone and the phone jumped out of the ad and ran across my screen. Turbo tax also has an irritating as with a stupid looking Ben Franklin moving around. This is all so irritating. And someone tell Billy Mays to shut the heck up!
Hard to believe soon there will be zero Free TV for emergencies or battery powered TVs..........pity the poor kids in low income homes w/o cable!
For news and information we have the internet.
For entertainment, DVDs
I stopped watching tV a very long time ago, late 80s when internet news became available, and VHS was.
I cannot understand why anyone pays for cable or satellite only to be screamed at via the offensive commercials and listen to so called news delivered in an always hysterical manner.
The programs are the biggest insult of all.
But I don't find watching two men struggling with one another in the missionary position in a cage very mature. In case your not getting me, and I'm sure you are not... I'm talking about the UFC. I don't actually watch them on purpose. But once in a while a commercial will come on and inveriably it will show two men lying on the mat in the missionary position. I often wonder if I'm watching a fight or a gay porno.
I have a better idea, how about we just do away with those pesky commercials, altogether!
I'm really miffed, that I still have to watch tons of commercials, even when subscribed to cable TV. I thought the whole point of cable TV originally, was to have NO COMMERCIALS??
Seems like kind of a rip off. So now, the cable companies get paid by their customers, as well as the tons of advertisers who are now on Cable TV?? Guess somebody must really be getting rich... (and it ain't me)