Update -- See: TV Viewers Bear Burden for CALM Act Enforcement
If you, like many if not most people, had visions of the government really cracking down on TV stations and cable companies that broadcast annoyingly loud commercials after enactment of the CALM Act, you had a wrong vision. The fact is that the FCC has placed most of the burden for enforcement of the law squarely on TV viewers.
The much-desired TV commercial volume control law - the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act - is now in effect, but you can bet your eardrums there will be violations. Here's when and how to report CALM Act violations.
Taking full effect on December 13, 2012, the CALM Act requires TV stations, cable operators, satellite TV operators and other pay TV providers to limit a commercial's average volume to that of the programming that it accompanies.
It May Not be a Violation
The CALM Act is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FCC does provide a simple way to report violations. However, the FCC also advises that not all "loud" commercials are violations.
According to the FCC), while the overall or average volume of the commercial should be no louder than the regular programming, it may still have "louder" and "quieter" moments. As a result, says the FCC, some commercials may sound "too loud" to some viewers, but still comply with the law.
Basically, if all or most of the commercial sounds louder to you that the regular program, report it.
Broadcasters who fail to comply with the CALM Act regulations face significant financial penalties imposed by the FCC.
How to Report a CALM Act Violation
The easiest way to file a loud commercial complaint is by using the FCC's online complaint form at www.fcc.gov/complaints. To use the form, click on the Complaint Type button "Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable, and Satellite Issues," and then click on the Category button "Loud Commercials." This will take you to the "Form 2000G - Loud Commercial Complaint" form. Fill out the form and click on "Complete the form" to submit your complaint to the FCC.
The "Loud Commercial Complaint" form asks for information, including the date and time you saw the commercial, the name of the program you were watching and which TV station or pay TV provider transmitted the commercial. It's a lot of information, but it is necessary to help the FCC correctly identify the offending commercial from among the tens-of-thousands of commercials aired every day.
Complaints can also be filed by fax to 1-866-418-0232 or by filling out a 2000G - Loud Commercial Complaint form (.pdf) and mailing it to:
The Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554.
If you need assistance in filing your complaint, you may contact the FCC's Consumer Call Center by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) (voice) or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) (TTY).
Comments
Could they possibly make reprting these annoyingly loud commercials any more convoluted and complicated. The current method will dissuade many viewers from putting forth the degree of effort required to correct the problem.
Rich: That’s what I thought at first, but considering how many ads are running at any given time of the day and night (millions?), and the fact that by filing a complaint, we are accusing somebody of a criminal act, making an accurate identification of the offending ad and broadcaster is essential. It’s pretty much what you have to do when reporting any crime.
Robert Longley
I will definately do what is needed to stop these providers from attacking my
tranquility and peace in my home. It is an invasion–and unfortunately I have to PAY MONEY to let them do it to me!!! It is beyond comprehension what we HAVE TO ALLOW and what THEY GET AWAY WITH. Ya just gotta LOVE capitalism. The onward and endless pursuit of more suckers spending more money !!!!
So far, I have seen absolutely no compliance with the new law. Of course, the law was written by idiots and is written so poorly that it is just about unenforceable. The “average” sound level is not the correct definition. The FCC admits that some may sound louder but still be within the law, hell, that is the correct definition of louder!!
Humans do not hear in a linear fashion, we hear logarithmic. Twice the sound level is just barely discernible by human hearing.
The real problem is the duffases who wrote the law, allowing the FCC to cop out.
I am sitting here watching the NBC nightly news and all of the commercial are blaringly loud. There has been no reduction in volume at all. the FCC should be in charge of monitoring this. We should not have to go through some convoluted process for this to be enforced. FCC needs to enforce their laws. Do your job!
The law took affect December 13, 2012 and I did notice a huge difference in the level of the commercials. It was nice while it lasted, just about 2 weeks. Since about the 24 th of December, the ads have been getting increasingly louder. I have to have the TV turned all the way up to hear it- no hearing problems, but it is a very small TV and does not get very loud, except when the commercials come on. I usually have to turn the volume down 40-50%, and still some commercials exceed the turned down level, so I mute them. I am muting more each day as they volume goes back up.
I have been in my basement with the washer and dryer going and all of a sudden I would hear really loud noise, only to find out it is commercial time. BTW, to all those ads for other TV shows or to purchase something, when I have to keep turning down the TV because your ads are so loud, I make certain to NOT watch that TV show or buy those products. So if these companies think they will gain customers by deafening them with overly loud commercials, think again. I don’t know if other people feel this way, but it would be a great way to make it register with these inconsiderate companies, if people refused to buy their products until they turn down the noise and keep it turned down.
I shall start keeping logs and turn them in, not that it will do any good. Until then, my mute button is getting used more often.
RreI met this man named William lewis Smith on a
dating app he said he was in US military and stationed
at camp Phoenix Afghanistan infantry 82nd any way after a while of talking and exchanging pictures he told
Me he wanted to be with me and beeded help with coming to see me he asked me to send him $2880 dollars for air fair i told him i couldn’t do that it made him
very angry so i quit talking with him and then he started
malting threats sending me gmails and text s on my phone the last one i got was yesterday he first called me
at 1:30am yesterday and said he is in the states now
and that he was going to track me down and when he finds me he is going to kill me he didn’t just say that he
also put that on my gmail the phone number he called me
form i still have it’s located in warren Michigan he said he
is at his sitter house and she sent him the air fair to come
he said just to find me i since then changed my number
and have new gmail account but he said on my old gmail
he already knows where i am he said he has all my detail
with him so what can i do Pease help me catch this guy
I have all his emails and pictures he sent me he also is on Facebook
Great, enforcement by the same folks that created the “do not call registry” that works SO well…
I have seen no change at all! Have to grab the remove everytime the show goes to commercial. Just another can’t enforce rule. They hope to wear us down until we give up.
EASY to fix this problem. Stop patronizing the business’ that BLARE. Contact these advertisers and tell them we will boycott. I am only one person but I will not buy from and have not bought from any company who does it.
If a local TV station carried by a cable provider is deemed to have a loud commercial in violation of the law, who is responsible, the TV station or the cable provider?
First day of the law the commercials were noticeably quieter, now they are back to their old volume. We the people should not have the burden of monitoring every commercial infraction. Use our government employees wisely, have them do it. Seriously, I can’t wait to fire my government employees next time I get to vote.
I always have to have the remote in my hand to lower the volume when a commercial comes on. I’ve complained twice and haven’t heard anything from the FCC. That complaint form is a joke. Why do they need my address? Isn’t city/state/email enough? Are they actually following up on my complaint. I don’t think so because I see no change. What are they doing with my complaint???
I keep the form loaded up everytime I watch the tube and lay in waiting. When I hear one of these loud commercials I punch in the offender info and hit the submit button
I wonder if they average the noise level of the entire show to determine how load a commercial can be. If so it might explain why you see the first few minutes of a show the the theme song is BLASTED then onto the commercials.
CBS has the loudest intro music on the dial.
Ed
I have started watching any channel that has fewest commercials. I used to love Discovery and History channels but have rarely watched them now that they run more commercials than content. Also they rarely have anything about Discovery or History.
I agree with all the above. I was going to log a complaint, but after reading these comments, what’s the use?
I don’t buy products that air loud commercials or that use stupidity to sell their products or that attack their competition with manipulated statistics.
As far as loud commercials are concerned …
One word:Netflix
I guess you can’t log a complaint unless you shell out $25. Screw them.
Mark (19): There is no charge to file a complaint. Here’s a direct link to the FCC’s online complaint form for loud commercials….
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form2000.action?form_type=2000G
Robert Longley
In following up on my complaint, the complaint number could not be found.
They have made it deplorably difficult to follow through/up on the Calm Act. It isn’t even listed as a category!
Case Status
Invalid Case ID. We could not locate a case based on the case ID provided. Please go back and try again.
Well, first of all, I have to agree with all of the comments I’ve been reading. And since December 13th, it seems like more and more commercials have increased their volume levels substantially. It is so much more noticable after the turn of the new year. We all need to make more of an effort to report as many of these violations that we can. STOP THE INSANITY!!!!
Mary Alice Carlin ….. What the F are you talking about and why are you airing your dirty scandal on this comment site??? WackO
Now they’ve started “YELLING” to get your attention. The volume may not be any higher, but you definately know the salesman is YELLING. Car dealerships are the worst offenders.
Why is the Calm Act – not in effect? Because of the cable companies ,even though the stations – maybe following the law , the Cable company – may turn up the sound – anytime they want to ??
So this law is really – not going to stop the loud commercials ?
Call the stations – talk to the general managers -see what they are doing – find out the truth. It may have been done – for all the right reasons, but if they are not going to regulate the cable companies – this is a muted point.
Magnavox makes TV’s with “Smart Sound”. The TV automatically adjusts the volume for commercials. Also, it lowers the volume when you turn on the TV, or change the channel, and gradually raises it back up, to the volume that it’s set on. I think all TV’s should be that way. Let’s boycott everything that contributes to the problem, and endorse anything that helps.
There has definitely not been any change in the way commericals are broadcast they are still loud and very annoying, like some of the other commentors has said ,how mush harder could the form made it impossible to report this violation of the so called law prohibiting commercials from being broadcast are a higher volume than the programming . This hold forest of a law is a joke even the FCC mkaes a mokrey of any change to inforce these viliations in the statement on this as i read it states that the FCC says some commercials could be louder than the broadscsted program, just politics at its best ,just a waste of time passing this law
Yup, two months after it’s officially the law that tv commercials should not be louder than the shows, they’re still too loud. And if we have to report one incident in order to call attention to the issue, that’s really a shame, but at least there’s the comments section. I laid it out there. Hope you did too.
So what the FCC is saying is that WE have to enforce the law passed by Congress? I guess they are too busy searching for the occasional curse word or a booby slip they can’t do what Congress has tasked them to do. The FCC has been aggressive in attacking and fining radio and TV for minor things but somehow they can’t find the time to regulate volume? Nice.
@Jay: What if people did not report robberies, rapes, murders, etc.? What if the cops had to discover all crimes themselves? Also, most violations of the FCC radio and TV ethics regs are reported by viewers and listeners.
Robert
“Jay: Did you notice that the very first item on the FCC’s Television complaint reporting form at: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints is: “Broadcast programs showing obscene, profane, and/or indecent material?” Do you really want the FCC spending who knows how much of our tax dollars monitor millions of commercials ever hour of the day? Yes, we need to enforce this law. Imagine if the cops had to discover all crimes themselves.
Sincerely,
Robert Longle”
First of all, an errant curse word or too much boob is hardly a “robbery, rape, or a murder”. How much money has the FCC spent censoring programming we can simply choose not the watch? YES, I would much rather they spend the money trying to regulate and act that is intended to stop invasive commercials on programs we are actually choosing to watch. You should be censored for comparing an overreaching bureaucratic agency like the FCC to real police work. When is the last time you guys arrested a robber, rapist, or a murderer? What a joke.
I cannot believe that nothing is being done to lower the volume of loud noises and voices on tv commercials. I am really tired of reaching for the remote to mute commercials and I do mute all commercials, but I will keep doing it as long as it takes. I would think that those in charge of commercial volumes would catch on by now. There must be millions of people doing the same thing as me. There is far more to gain by leaving the volume level at a range acceptable by the audience. Hmmmm?
CALLyour CABLE OR SATELLITE company and tell them you are going to report them to FCC and cancel your service because of the LOUD COMMERCIALS.. They are the ones in control of the volume.
I am appaulded at the disgustining comment of Joan Rivers about Betty White. She has no shame and I, for one, will not watch her show any more. Betty White is an icon and should spit on Joan Rivers, but Betty has too much class. Joan, on the other hand, should perhaps forego anymore plastic surgery before her face pulls apart and act like a human being. Asking for her to be a compassionate human being is probably asking too much, but Joan has become a disgustining personality. Does anyone share my thoughts?
I have started hitting the MUTE button at the 1st loud commercial and
leave it muted until the program returns. This way commercials that
are not too loud are unheard also. If enough viewers did this, the not loud advertisers might put pressure on the stations.
Never in my over 50 years on the planet do I ever remember having to turn down the volume when ads came on the TV. Not only that but when the ads are over, you then have to turn the volume up again in order to hear the regular program. This tells us just how large the differential is between the program and the ads. Don’t you think that maybe the creators of these hideous ads (which also seem to have taken on a new brand of obnoxiousness) have taken advantage of the greater ease of volume changing with the coming of the remote control?
Dish commercial with man threatening
to hit a man on head with baseball bat. How discussing.
Where does someone file a complain regarding a commercial that is offensive? Like the one on UNDOCUMENTED wanting HEALTH CARE in “THEIR COUNTRY”— speaking about the U.S.A.!!!!!! WHAT PART OF UNDOCUMENTED DO THEY NOT UNDERSTAND!!!
Wake up good people. Those who drafted this law are not idiots, far from it. It’s just that those with integrity believed (perhaps correctly) that this was the best compromise they could get from the rest of Congress, which as a practical matter, is under the thumb of (owned by) the corporate sponsors. The rule of average volume, the difficulty of reporting violations, the bizarre maze of enforcement the FCC would have to (but is unlikely to ever) follow, and more, are very carefully drafted to make any fallout from violation of the law a near zero probability. The result is a law that even those without integrity can use to tell voters they care, while allowing the corporate sponsors, as usual, to conduct business in violation of the public’s reasonable standards for fair, acceptable profit-making behaviors. I will not waste my time on the deliberately ridiculous complaint form. I do, however, encourage you good people to never vote for any candidate whose vote can be managed by the corporate sponsors (and in my opinion that includes many Democrats and virtually all Republicans).