Posted on 12/13/2012 1:44:47 PM PST by Clint N. Suhks
Those annoying ear-splitting commercials that come out of nowhere are now officially against the law. The rules governing implementation of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) Act went into effect today requiring broadcasters, cable operators, satellite services and other video distributors to keep the volume level of commercials consistent with regular TV programming.
Loud commercials have been a top consumer complaint for decades, making the CALM Act a consumer favorite.
It also made the law's author, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) recognizable in grocery stores, she said during a press conference Thursday morning.
"It's the one bill that I've heard from people all over the country," said Eshoo of her 2008 bill. "This will be a relief to consumers. Today begins a new era of quieter TV."
Eshoo was joined at press conference this morning by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who sponsored the Senate companion bill that was passed in Dec. 2010. President Obama immediately signed the two-page bill into law Dec. 15, 2010. Once the Federal Communications Commission established the rules for the bill, media outlets were given a year to come into compliance.
If a loud commercial slips through, consumers must file a complaint with the FCC using the oline complaint form at www.fcc.gov/complaints.
“It is a little much when the volume of a TV etc has to be decided by the courts and politicians.”
I work in television. This is an area I’m glad to see government — meaning the people — finally exercise its legitimate prerogative.
Because in this case it isn’t government stepping in and telling property owners what to do with their property. WE own the property. The law is quite clear: the airwaves belong to the people. Every bit of bandwidth. Networks are required to have a license to use our airwaves. That means we get to decide how loud commercials are.
It’s well documented that people have been screaming for years about the volume. The networks could have and should have acted, and they didn’t. They ignored their bosses — the people who own the airwaves. So now they get legislation.
Car commercials are the worst! Also men’s sports products. For both they use music from the pit of hell. This is good legislation.
Now if they would just get rid of daylight savings time so we won’t be sitting down to eat
dinner at 6 pm when the sun is blinding and it’s 110 degrees out side.
For the past two months, commercials have been BLASTING. Just now one came on loud and was lowered seconds into it. That tells me someone is being paid to manipulate the volume somewhere along the line. Bookmarked and ready to start reporting.
I believe your not, but I never knew this. WOW.....such a clean family show, and all that kissing on gramma. lol
Just dang it. spit fire and all that, dagnabit.
No lie. Just do a search. It’s disgusting. Sorry to ruin your show.
It’s even quieter when you turn the TV off altogether.
WE own the property. The law is quite clear: the airwaves belong to the people.
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First off, I did say that the ‘powers that be should have used some common sense’ etc...
As to “US” ‘owning’ the airways, yes in the same respect that “WE” paid to build the highways, pay police forces etc.
Agreed the Government is “WE THE PEOPLE”, not the ‘people are us’.
My point was that it is stupid for Government to be wasting their time with matters such as this when it can and should be resolved on our own.
lol, I'll just squint now while watching. You know, grandpa never really added much to that show anyway. He never had any lines that had much value or wisdom in them.
Now that I know what you told me about him, he was just a grandpa PROP.
Why, of course! Because government-meddling is just fine if it's something you agree with.
For Pete's sake, can't you leave your little, personal dislikes aside for a minute and see how the government increasingly insinuates itself into every tiny, unimportant piece of our lives?
You Liberaltarians can go live next door to your zone-free prostitution/drug-dealer/SodomiteMarriageChapel if you can convince your fellow citizens to elect idiots that have the same philosophy you do to your state legislature and or federal congress for all I care. For now the adults are not letting a-holes take advantage of the airwaves.
This is the first legislation I’ve agreed with in years. Mean time you go lobby your fellow irrelevant 2% Liberaltarian constituency and see how that works out.
Great news Clint. Now I remember why I left this on the computer this morning/last night.
BTTT.
Always fascinates me when a self-identifying conservative (else why would you be here) comes out of the big-government closet. I understand you agree with it. Show me in the Constitution -- which, I presume, you also claim to agree with -- where the Federal government gets such a power, though.
The Welfare Clause maybe? Or is it a penumbra of an emanation or something like that? Or is there a clause I've missed that if Clint N. Suhks agrees with something, it's automatically constitutional.
A lot of people agreed with Obamacare. Legislating the volume of TV ads and you think that because you agree with it, it's a good thing. We are truly sunk.
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