The Sound of...Less Loudness.

[foxglovehp.livejournal.com]

My audiologist posted something recently about a new law being signed to limit the volume of television commercials.  I wear hearing aids, so I am not interested in debating with anyone here whether or not TV commercials are too loud.  I have to turn my HAs down whenever commercials come on, so I know they are.  Everyone knows they are too loud.  Mad Magazine even knew they were too loud in the '70's when I used to read it as a kid.  I know this because they made jokes about it even back then.

Titled CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation), the law requires the FCC to tell broadcasters to turn the fraking volume down on commercials.  Really?  no shit?  Couldn't someone in the Federal government, which controls the Federal Communications Commission just tell them to do it?  Did we really need congressional action for this?  It offends my delicate libertarian sensibilities to know that this was really required.  Also, is this the best acronym our tax dollars can buy?

Comments

[blorky.livejournal.com]

Wait. You mean the market didn't force the stations to do something their consumers wanted? On top of that, the market didn't provide a HA that regulates volume variance? And if that gadget were really expensive, your insurance didn't pay for it? Weird. I'd figure the market would take care of that.

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

Actually the market does provide this. It is alternatively called TIVO or a DVR depending on the brand.

Further some high end audio systems will automatically balance the audio levels for you as well.

[blorky.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected - my dvr doesn't auto-correct.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

the vast majority don't. The invisible hand of the market isn't doing much in this case.

Of course, we're welcome to watch other stations on a different spectrum, right? Oh, wait...

[foxglovehp.livejournal.com]

I am not sure why what my insurance may or may not cover is relevant here, or for that matter the technology behind my hearing aids. Perhaps you could enlighten us all as to the relevance. Or are you just trolling?

[blorky.livejournal.com]

I'm being tongue in cheek. I've had HA's for years, and am very surprised that there isn't better automated volume control. I was clowning a bit about the natural conclusion of the existence of such a technology - that is, it would exist in an expensive HA, one probably only available for private purchase or to people w/ very good insurance.

[foxglovehp.livejournal.com]

Mine (Oticon Dual Connect XW) actually do clamp down loud noises. They also "learn" from the surroundings and each other. They are very nice and the technology is pretty spiffy. They also were not exactly cheap. My insurance did in fact, pay for part of them. But very few health insurers, as you know, don't pay much if anything for adult hearing aids.

Still TV commercials are loud. That said, I have a volume button on my TV, my remote and my HAs. I don't need to pay congress to turn my TV down. Or for that matter to change the channel if I find the content objectionable.