FCC lowers the volume on TV commercials - Chicago Sun-Times (click for full article) "Those ultra-loud TV commercials will soon be a thing of the past. The Federal Communications Commission announced new regulations Tuesday requiring broadcasters and cable and satellite TV systems to maintain constant volume levels. The order - which goes into effect a year from now - "says commercials must have the same average volume as the programs they accompany," says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Last year, President Barack Obama signed into law a measure that Congress passed giving the FCC authority to address the problem. A Harris poll taken around that time found that 86 percent of people surveyed said TV commercials were louder than the shows themselves - in many cases, much louder."
