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Senate votes to turn down volume on TV commercials

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press

Writer Thu Sep 30, 7:08 pm ET

WASHINGTON Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials

that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon

become law.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday to require television

stations and cable companies to keep commercials at the same volume as the

programs they interrupt.

The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor

differences between the two versions have to be worked out when Congress

returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.

Ever since television caught on in the 1950s, the Federal Communication

Commission has been getting complaints about blaring commercials. But the FCC

concluded in 1984 there was no fair way to write regulations controlling the

"apparent loudness" of commercials. So it hasn't been regulating them.

Correcting sound levels is more complicated than using the remote control. The

television shows and ads come from a variety of sources, from local businesses

to syndicators.

Managing the transition between programs and ads without spoiling the artistic

intent of the producers poses technical challenges and may require TV

broadcasters to purchase new equipment. To address the issue, an industry

organization recently produced guidelines on how to process, measure and

transmit audio in a uniform way.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., requires the FCC

to adopt those recommendations as regulations within a year and begin enforcing

them a year later. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., is the driving force behind the

bill in the House.

Its title is the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a co-sponsor, said it's time to stop the use of

loud commercials to startle viewers into paying attention. "TV viewers should

be able to watch their favorite programs without fear of losing their hearing

when the show goes to a commercial," he said.