Around the Net

Bill's Passage Could End 25 Years Of The Mute Button

Inspired by decades of consumer complaints, Congress is possibly days away from passing legislation that would ban TV ads that blare louder than the programs they're on. The Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation, or CALM, Act follows rules on how to measure and clip broadcast volumes.

Up to now, broadcasters mandated that ads should not exceed the "peak" loudness of the program being interrupted. Often, that "peak" was a mere spike such as a gunshot or a scream. Ad producers crank the noise level to just below that peak. Result? Viewers being driven nuts.

Of course, industry officials says this isn't done just to capture attention but because the sound mixers are trying to one-up the volume of ads that are adjacent to theirs, leading to an arms race for listening ears.

advertisement

advertisement

Read the whole story at Wall Street Journal »

1 comment about "Bill's Passage Could End 25 Years Of The Mute Button ".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. William Hughes from Arnold Aerospace, December 2, 2010 at 1:04 p.m.

    What's needed now is to AMEND the "V-Chip" Law so that it includes Commercials as well as Programming. That way parents will be able to control Advertisments they do not want their Children to see, such as those for "Male Enhancement" Pills, which advertisers don't seem to care WHO is watching them, since they air these Commercials at all hours of the day, and even during Children's Programs themselves!

Next story loading loading..