Spurred by legislation making its way through Congress, broadcasters are working to modulate the volume of television commercials, which too often are much louder than the programs they interrupt, the San Jose Mercury News said Sunday.
Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from Palo Alto, has introduced a bill, which could come to the House floor for a vote as soon as this week, that would force broadcasters to modulate the volume of ads, the newspaper said. Last week, Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Chuck Schumer of New York introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee, a body that sets technical standards for digital television, has devised a set of guidelines, and Eshoo recently amended her bill to effectively make them law and direct the FCC to enforce them.
Tags: FCC, loud commercials