Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) has cosponsored legislation that would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish consistent volume levels for television advertisements. The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act of 2009 (CALM), which is pending in the Senate Commerce Committee, aims to prohibit the broadcast of advertisements that are noticeably louder than regular television programming.
“This legislation is a common-sense solution to a problem that has been nagging many South Dakotans,” Johnson said. “Over the years, I have heard from many people who were annoyed that television advertisements are often much louder than the programs they regularly watch. By cosponsoring this legislation, I hope to help put an end to this practice.”
An identical piece of legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The bill provides the FCC with waiver authority for broadcast stations, cable operators or other distributors that would be financially burdened by complying. If the legislation becomes law, rules would be effective one year after their adoption.
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