Washington, D.C. – Congress approved legislation by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) to quiet excessively loud television commercials today, when the House of Representatives passed S. 2847, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, by a voice vote. The bill will prevent television advertisements from playing at a volume noticeably higher than the programs during which they air.

“Consumers have been asking for a solution to this problem for decades, and today they finally have it.” Rep. Eshoo said. “The CALM Act gives consumers peace of mind, because it puts them in control of the sound in their homes.”

Since the 1960’s, the Federal Communications Commission has been receiving consumer complaints about commercials being louder than television programming. Loud television commercials have also been listed as a top consumer complaint in 21 of the FCC’s last 25 quarterly reports. Nevertheless, current FCC policy recommends that consumers “mute” commercials when they find them excessively strident. Under the CALM Act, the FCC must require advertisers to adopt industry technology which modulates sound levels and prevents overly loud commercials within one year.

“TV programs use a variety of sound levels to build dramatic effect. But advertisements have been neither subtle nor nuanced,” Rep. Eshoo said. “My bill reduces commercial volume, allowing them to only be as loud as the decibel level of regular programming. Consumers will no longer have to experience being blasted at. It’s a simple fix to a huge nuisance.”

The CALM Act passed the Senate on September 29, 2010. Having passed both the House and the Senate, the bill will now be sent to the President’s desk for his signature.

“Most Americans experience the frustration of abrasively loud television commercials, with advertisers grabbing for our attention through this intrusive practice,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who sponsored the bill in the Senate. “While this is far from the biggest issue we face, it will mean one less daily annoyance in our lives. I appreciate the House's action and congratulate Representative Eshoo.”

###