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The Era of Loud TV Commercials May Soon Be Ending

by Kendra Cunningham on June 16, 2009 at 06:35 AM

It's bad enough that commercials are inherently obnoxious (they interrupt your six hour marathon of 'Boy Meets World'), but do they have to be deafening on top of it? Ads can reach a level of volume that threatens the viewer's cardiovascular health -- our hearts can't take too many more used car dealership commercials -- as well as the stability of whatever beverage she might be holding.

Television commercials are currently allowed to be as loud as the loudest point of any program, which is hardly news to us. But is it really necessary for a male enhancement ad to reach the same decibel level as a screaming female victim?

Fortunately, the reign of loud commercials may be coming to an end. According to McClatchy, the FCC is considering a proposal that would keep force advertisers to keep the volume of commercials at the average volume level of a show, a move British regulators have already taken.


Broadcasters and advertisers are also working to lower the volume of ads, hoping to beat Congress to the punch. They would prefer operating by their own standards rather than limitations imposed by the government, said Dan Jeffe, the executive vice president of the New York Association of National Advertisers. No matter how it boils down, viewers, and our nerves, will be very appreciative. [From: McClatchy/Yahoo!, via WalletPop]

Tags: ads, advertising, commercial, fcc, television, tv

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