FRANKFORT, Ky. (12/27/12) – Did Santa bring your family a new television for Christmas? If the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has its way, your new TV may come without one feature, super loud commercials.
 
The FCC has just established new rules for the volume of television commercials that started after December 12th, 2012. The new regulation, known as the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM Act) requires commercials to have the same average volume as the programs they accompany.
 
The CALM Act requires TV stations, cable operators or other multichannel video program distributors to apply specific FCC practices to commercials they transmit.
 
If you hear a commercial louder than the TV show it accompanies, you can files a complaint with the FCC by providing detailed information about the commercial. Just click on fcc.gov. and file your complaint about loud commercials, along with obscene or indecent programs, unlawful or illegal advertising, disability access, unauthorized/unfair/biased, or illegal broadcasts, cable modem or signal issues, Cable CARD issues, and more.
 
So if you're family is doing some holiday channel surfing, and you suddenly notice a commercial is so loud it's shaking the foundation of your home, relief is just a click away, thanks to the new FCC CALM Act. (fcc.gov)  
 
Of course, as with any federal regulations, this one comes with some small print, as in exceptions to the compliance date. A one-year waiver of the effective date may be granted by the FCC for TV stations, cable operators or other outlets that show hardship in obtaining the equipment needed to comply with the new law.
 
Paul McRee
SurfKY News

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