Loud TV commercials could one day soon become a thing of the past as the FCC Dec. 13 moved to implement the 2010 Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act.
The new rules, adopted at the agency’s monthly open meeting, require commercials to have the same average volume as the programs they accompany.
The rules, which cover OTA TV broadcasters, cable operators and satellite TV providers, set up a method for stations and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to demonstrate compliance without placing upon them an unnecessary burden, the agency said.
Broadcasters and MVPDs have until Dec. 13, 2012, one year after rule implementation, to come into full compliance. In a press statement, the commission said the year also provides “ample time” for programmers and networks to provide their distributors with certification that the commercials accompanying programming comply with the rules.
Although not mandatory, the certification will make the safe harbor process for broadcasters and MVPDs easier, the commission said.
