Skip to main content

FCC issues new rule: No more loud TV commercials

loud-tv-commercials-shhhh-shutterstock
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Watching television is about to get a lot less obnoxious. No, they didn’t cancel “Jersey Shore,” sadly. It’s something better.

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday passed a new regulation, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM), which requires cable and satellite TV broadcasters to maintain the same volume between shows and commercials.

“Most of us have … experienced this ourselves: You’re watching your favorite television program, or the news, and all of a sudden, a commercial comes on, and it sounds like someone turned up the volume — but no one did,” said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in a statement. “Today, the FCC is quieting a persistent problem of the television age: loud commercials.”

According to Genachowski, the FCC has received more than 6,000 complaints about excessively loud commercials since 2008. And the Consumers Union says the problem of loud ads has appeared as a top grievance in 21 of the 25 quarterly reports it has released since 2002.

The new FCC rule requires both cable and satellite TV companies, as well as local broadcasters, to keep the volume levels of commercials in check.

CALM was originally passed by Congress in September 2010, and gave the FCC the task of addressing the problem of loud commercials. Unfortunately, CALM will not go into effect until December 2012 — an entire year from now. The FCC also reserves the right to grant a TV station a one-year waiver, and has the authority to renew the waiver for one additional year. Why would it take three years for an broadcaster to turn down the volume a bit? We haven’t a clue, but we hope the FCC never has to give these waivers.

In the meantime, the FCC reminds viewers that “manually controlling volume levels with the remote control remains the simplest way to reduce excessive loudness levels.” And adds that, “the ‘mute’ button on your TV remote is also useful to control excessively loud audio.” Thanks, FCC. We didn’t know that already.

[Image via Niv Koren/Shutterstock]

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
We’ve tried them all — these are the best Sonos speakers in 2024
Sonos Move 2 in white.

One of the best speaker brands is Sonos so it’s a smart move to kit your home out with some great Sonos speakers. The range is busy enough that it can be tricky to know where to start. To an extent, any Sonos speaker is sure to delight you with some of the best wireless speakers around coming from Sonos. There’s also the benefit of Sonos’s multi-room system so you can easily get all your speakers to work together across the house. However, certain speakers are better for certain scenarios so a little research is always wise.

Below, we’ve picked out all the best Bluetooth speakers from Sonos. That includes some more affordable options, speakers that can be taken out and about with you, and ones that give you sound that will fill the room with joy. Whatever you pick here, you’re going to love it. A great speaker really does make the ambience at home so much better and you’ll soon notice some details you wouldn’t hear through inferior speakers. Keen to learn more? Let’s get straight into the best Sonos speakers.
The best Sonos speakers in 2024

Read more
JBL sale: Bluetooth speakers, wireless earbuds, and more, from $30
JBL Authentics 300.

JBL is one of the most popular brands in the audio industry, so you shouldn't pass up any chance to enjoy savings when buying one of its devices. If you're on the hunt for Bluetooth speaker deals, wireless earbuds deals, or discounts for any other type of audio device, you should check out what's available in Best Buy's JBL sale. You can get something for as low as $30, but there are bargains for some of JBL's premium products as well. Take a look at our recommendations below or go through everything that's on sale -- either way, you need to hurry because there's no telling how long stocks will last.

What to buy in Best Buy's JBL sale
The JBL Flip 6 portable speaker. JBL / JBL

Read more
Samsung’s new Music Frame smart speaker is essentially $100 off
The front panel of the Samsung Music Frame snaps off so you can swap it out with other artwork.

For a wireless speaker that doubles as an art piece in your bedroom or living room, you should check out the Samsung Music Frame smart speaker. It's available from Best Buy for $400, and every purchase comes with a $100 gift card that you can use on a future Best Buy purchase. That essentially drops the price of the unique device to a more affordable $300, but you better act fast because we're not sure how long this offer will remain available. If you can buy the wireless speaker now, you should probably do so.

Why you should buy the Samsung Music Frame smart speaker
The Samsung Music Frame is a wireless speaker that doubles as an old-fashioned picture frame, so you'll be able to listen to your favorite music while gazing at your photograph or artwork of choice. You have the option of swapping the bezels and the picture whenever you want. Behind the picture are two each of woofers, tweeters, and midrange drivers, which use Samsung's SpaceFit calibration technology to tune themselves according to the acoustics of the room where the Samsung Music Frame is placed. With its compatibility for Dolby Atmos, you'll enjoy rich surround sound.

Read more