DISQUS

Richard Bennett · 1 year ago

Loud commercials promote the sale of DVRs. Eshoo and Lofgren are hurting TiVo.

Tom · 1 year ago

I'm quite please to hear that action is being taken regarding the loudness problem, which has recently become dramatically worse. Do you really think regulation in this regard is likely to work more efficiently than the market -- that consumers should be relied upon to flock to stations with quieter ads? Or, perhaps, to buy new devices that counteract the loudness?

That seems a bit ridiculous. Mandating some kind of sane RMS normalization criterion on broadcast TV is an obviously more efficient way to address the problem. If enough Americans feel it's a problem that their representatives will enact such legislation, then what's the problem? It should be self-evident that imposing some limits on advertising techniques are necessary and reasonable if we want to have a livable society.

This post is just knee-jerk anti-regulation rhetoric. But that's not enough to constitute an argument, I'm afraid: what is the alleged cost or inefficiency that this proposed rule will introduce?

Adam Thierer · 1 year ago

"If enough Americans feel it’s a problem that their representatives will enact such legislation, then what’s the problem?"

Sure, why not. I mean untrammeled majoritarianism is the American way, right? So let me substitute a few words here... "If enough Americans feel [offensive talk] is a problem that their representatives will enact such legislation [to limit it], then what’s the problem?"

Well, that's IS the problem in my book. The slippery slope of speech regulation is real.

waterwalker · 8 months ago

that is not the same thing.

I can cope with offensive talk, what I cannot cope with is a stranger coming in to my home and turning the volume up just for commercials.

Richard Bennett · 1 year ago

Some of the home entertainment equipment vendors have built systems to find "high impact" programming, in order to show the highlights of a football game or what have you. These systems respond to video as well as audio qualities, such as vivid images and replays. Early systems identified commercials as high impact because there's more intensity at every level in a 30-second spot than in regular programming. So what's next, no good-looking women or car chases in commercials?

Tom · 1 year ago

I'm seeing a lot of rhetorical tricks, and not a lot of explanations of what normalizing the volume costs us. This is not a restriction of speech any more than are the laws saying I can't stand outside your bedroom window with an airhorn all night. The content of speech is protected, not its physical volume.

Gary Dean · 1 year ago

This writer is obviously a media industry employee.
Not only should the government regulate the loudness of commercials, but it is now time to begin regulating the frequency, duration and content of television commercials.
Yes, PBS would be a nightmare. PBS has more quality programming in a month than the commercial and cable stations do in a year.

tlfmd · 1 year ago

If you watch TV @ 60 dB (level of conversation), commercials from all sources are at 70dB. (RadioShack sound meter ,about 80 bucks)
Sound pressure in milliPascals is about doubled for every 3 dB.
Thus it is hillarious that they can say they are not louder.

Sick of Loud Commercials · 1 year ago

I have a sure-fire way of toning down those aggravating loud commercials... turn the damn TV off and go do something constructive. Works like a champ for me. Now, Mr. Commercial Producer, what are you going to do to buttonhole me now???

offended by noise · 7 months ago

Another possible approach might be to boycot those offensively loud commercials. Don't buy their product and maybe they'll figure it out. On second thought, they would probably assume that it's still not load enough and crank it up even louder in an attempt to bring sales up. I guess what we need is an email campaign (or phone call) to the offending company telling them that we won't be buying their product no matter how wonderful it is until they bring their volume down to the same level as the program.

robs091402 · 2 months ago

Adam Thierer is obviously very full of himself with his snide commentary running through the entire piece. The fact is, I like thousands of other Americans have tuned out commercial TV. As the industry gets desperate they actually think they will increase profit by yelling at us. I'm not sure the govt needs to tell them to stop, but I did not spend $1500 on a TV and $75 a month to lose control of my environment. Honestly, how many times have you Adam Thierer fallen asleep only to be awaken by Billy Mayes booming voice yelling at you in high volume? That alone is a felony.