Blaring television advertisements took another step toward extinction today when the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 1084, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, by a voice vote. The bill will prevent television advertisements from playing at a volume noticeably above the programs during which they air. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) sponsored the bipartisan bill and shepherded it through the Committee. The legislation will now move to the floor for consideration of the full House.
"In my 17 years in the House of Representatives, I've never carried a bill which has been received with so much enthusiasm," Rep. Eshoo reflected after the vote. "Only the Do Not Call List' has even come close."
The current official FCC policy recommends that consumers "mute" commercials if they find them excessively strident. Under the CALM Act, advertisers will have one year to adopt industry technology which modulates sound levels and prevent overly loud commercials.
"This problem has been discussed for decades, but never properly addressed--not by the FCC, and certainly not by licensees who have the obligation to protect the public interest. This legislation gives the control of sound back to consumers where it belongs," declared Rep. Eshoo. "This is an easy fix for a tremendous nuisance."
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is poised to introduce similar legislation in the Senate.