You ever try to watch the late show on TV while someone else in the house is sleeping? You turn the sound WAY down and lean forward, trying with all your might to hear the dialogue… when suddenly a commercial comes on and blasts you back into your seat, waking the household and setting the dog to howling?
Well, you’re not alone, according to the Center for Media Research:
According to the findings of an Adweek Media/Harris Poll of 2,194 U.S. adults,86% of Americans say that compared to the TV shows themselves, television commercials seem louder. 57% say the commercials seem much louder. Just 12% say the shows and commercials are at the same level, and only 1% say the volume of the commercials is softer than the shows.93% of those who say the ads are louder say it bothers them, with 62% saying it bothers them a lot. 31% say the fact that the commercials seem louder bothers them a little, while only 7% say it does not bother them….
Ah, but help is potentially on the way. The CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act (H.R.6209) passed the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of 2009, and is now making its way through the Senate. It would order the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create and enforce federal regulations requiring that television advertisements not be excessively noisy.
And you thought Congress never did anything relevant to your life…
Comments are closed.