No need to cover your ears anymore!

Picture yourself in your family room watching your favorite T.V. show with a gigantic bowl of popcorn, when suddenly a loud obnoxious commercial starts blasting out of your T.V.’s speakers.  Well, good news folks!  The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (Calm) Act is now in effect.  This act, passed by President Obama in 2010, prohibits T.V. advertisers from raising the volume higher than the volume of the T.V. program.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) will now implement the rules and will ensure that advertisers are following the guidelines.  T.V. networks and stations are to apply Advanced Television Systems Committee’s and A/85 Recommended Practice as a tool to measure and control the audio power.  They gave T.V. stations a year to administer the new rules.  Stations can ask for an extension if they see fit.  But um, why would they need an extension?  The FCC will judge whether or not the adverts are in agreement with the new rules.  You can even make a complaint to the FCC at www.fcc.gov/complaints, telling them which commercials you think are louder than others.  You know, just in case those T.V. stations try to pull a fast one over us.

Anna Eshoo, a congresswoman from California, sponsored the bill and it passed with flying colors on an uncontested vote.  It’s nice to see that most of the country saw these outrageous commercials a nuisance as well.  Although, this new standard does not apply to radio stations and radio advertisers.  So, I guess I will be putting my cd’s back in to ignore those awful radio commercials.