Loud commercials may be a thing of the past, as the Federal Communications Commission has ordered television broadcasters to control the volume on their commercials.
The order, which goes into effect in one year, requires that commercials have the same average volume as the programs they accompany. The rules also establish a way for broadcasters to demonstrate they are following the rules.
The rules address one of the top consumer complaints to the FCC.
The FCC has received almost 6,000 complaints or questions about loud commercials since 2008. According to the Consumer Union, in 25 quarterly reports on consumer complaints since 2002, 21 listed abrupt changes in volume between programming and ads among the top consumer grievances.
"For far too long, TV viewers either frantically reached for the remote to turn down the volume when television commercials began or endured what sometimes were frightening decibel levels that resulted in considerable alarm, anger and spilled popcorn," FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said in a statement.
The new rules were driven by a 2010 federal law mandating that the FCC address volume spikes on TV advertising.
Locally, it's hard to find anyone who will take responsibility for loud commercials.
Bill Hinkle, a longtime local commercial producer and a University of Tulsa communications professor, said he has never made an ad to be intentionally loud.
Volume levels are always set as required by local television stations, he said.
Making an irritatingly loud commercial is counterproductive, and advertisers unfairly get blamed for the phenomena.
"I don't know anybody in the industry who would do this purposefully," he said.
"I recognize it as much as any other consumer. I'd say to my wife, 'God, it's too loud,' but we just don't know why."
Two local television stations say they have already taken steps to deal with the issue.
John Schilberg, vice president of technology at Griffin Communications, owner of Tulsa's KOTV, said stations have never intentionally pumped up the volume on commercials.
Stations have a strong motivation not to irritate listeners with blaring ads, he said.
In the past, audio technology wasn't fast enough to catch sudden explosive sounds such as sirens and whistles at the beginnings of commercials, but modern equipment can react much faster, Schilberg said.
Rob Krier, chief operating officer of Griffin Communications, said about a year ago the station installed new equipment to regulate volume levels. Since that equipment was installed, Krier said he doesn't think the station has received another complaint about loud commercials.
Donna Wilson, general manager at KJRH, said the new rules won't cause her station any heartburn because it has already installed equipment to stay within the regulations.
"We're OK with it. We're ready to go," Wilson said. "We want people to enjoy the experience" of watching channel 2, she said.
Schilberg said he thinks the day of the suddenly loud commercial has already passed. In recent times, he said he has only noticed it happening on radio and on local commercial breaks for national cable channels.
Efforts to reach spokesmen of other local television stations and Cox Communications weren't immediately successful.
Source: Yellowbrix
