About time. Next, my crabby ole ears want the sounds in movies better modulated. Sometimes you can barely hear the dialogue, then they play music/explosions so loud you jump out of your seat. It's not just me...even my kiddos don't like when movies are like that.

Good for her! This is an annoyance to just about everyone who watches TV.

The FCC has no official position on the bill but suggests that consumers simply use their remote controls to keep volume levels consistent

I do exactly that and I hate having to scramble for the remote every 10 minutes or so.

Here's Consumer Reports' testimony on the bill

Here is a link that might be useful: More about this bill

Thanks for the Consumer Reports link.

I sent e mails to my representatives in Congress. This should have been done years ago. It just drives my husband crazy, especially since I tend to watch TV in bed after he's asleep. I try to keep the volume as low as possible so that the commercials don't jolt him awake.

Yeah, the ads can be very loud.
But really: THIS is something you want your tax money used for?
How about more of your tax money going instead to, say, the FDA to make sure that the imports of certain foods--for both humans and animals--is safe?
FDA, FTC are just 2 fed agencies who simply don't have enough inspectors to do their jobs.
Regulating the TV ads' sound is a low, low priority, in my opinion.

YES! Yes it is something that I want my tax money used for. No doubt about it. Total cost per US citizen to enact and enforce this law is probably pennies.

They can be loud and annoying but I agree with Pammy.

I'm a person who would usually be in pammyfay's camp, but not in this instance.

DH runs a company, gets up very early and works long hours. He comes home and takes a three mile walk, eats and then looks forward to an hour or two of television, to unwind.

I have tinnitus and have to keep the volume up a bit, in the first place, just to follow what's going on. When the ads come on, DH just about jumps off the sofa. It's getting to be more than a mere annoyance. It's quite unsettling for him. Big business has more than enough influence on our everyday life. Can't our homes be one place we can escape?

As for more important issues, I agree in part. However, I feel that in order to tackle these bigger problems, we should be entitled to a modicum of peace and quiet in our houses. There are already laws on the books about noise control. Operating loud machinery, during certain hours, is verboten. This speaks to our right for a decent night's sleep, another necessity for one's body's and mind's optimal performance.

I consider these ads nothing more than an assault on our senses.

Considering the current economy crisis in California, this sounds pretty darn silly.

As a resident of the state I am beyond displeased to know this is how my tax money is spent, let alone the need for a bill to mandate volume on TV ads.

I usually agree with most of what I read, but was totally taken back by the responses on this thread. I think it's a really foolish way to spend tax dollars. The loud commercials drive me a bit wacky too, but for peets sake, that's what the volume button is for! Or better yet, get DVR and fast forward right through those puppies! We are SOOOOO over regulated in some of the stupidest ways now, it just infuriates me.

Why, just this morning, there was a woman on the Today Show who was told by the State, she has to get a Day Care license because she is helping her neighbors by watching their kids for less than an hour, in her own home, while they wait for the bus. IT'S RIDICULOUS, and so is mandating sound of the freaking commercials!

Sorry... :c) It just hit a nerve!

Lukkiirish - Wow, about the deal with the Today Show. I thought that was called baby sitting.

Yup, it's true! Here's the link to the video. I'm hoping it works, sorry in advance if it doesn't. I just think there comes a time when we need to stop and really look at how ridiculous some of the laws are getting and this is another perfect example of that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Today Show article.

Before you change the subject to babysitting laws, letÂs finish this one first. Those of you who believe this law is preposterous need to understand the issue more broadly.

First, tryin2grow, this will have no effect on CaliforniaÂs budget crisis. This is a federal issue, and Congressperson EschooÂs salary and expenses come from the Federal government, not the state of California. She is assigned to this subcommittee of the US House Commerce Committee and is doing her job. Pammyfay, whether this bill is passed or not will not affect the budget of the FDA Â different agency, different mission, separate funding. You can rant and rave about how money *should* be spent, but a certain amount of the federal budget is alloted for FCC issues and oversight.

More importantly, a regulation of this type has existed for years. The FCC's current rules require the peak volume of a commercial be no higher than the programming it accompanies. So if someone shouts or screams or a siren goes off in a TV program, every commercial during that show can be entirely at that volume. Congressperson EschooÂs bill would change that rule to say that the volume of commercials not be any louder than the average level of the programs they accompany.

Ummm...no reason to be RUDE graywings...it's not switching the conversation to babysitting. I'm stating and supporting my point which is we are already over restricted!

I personally have no problem whatsoever with the FCC regulating the volume of commercials. What we've presently got with the LOUD!!! commercials is so blatantly in your face, and I object to being forced to control it on my end if I choose to watch tv. Let's have that FCC tax allotment put to work ensuring that home entertainment is not marred by what many of us consider to be a most insidious tactic on the part of some advertisers.

I pay a huge amount of money to the Federal govenment by way of income tax. I also pay my fair share as a business owner.

Let's take tax dollars out of the mix altogether and allow me to simply voice my opinion that this is one of the stupidest bills I have heard of.

I was trying to be polite earlier.

I think to say that sound is the most insidious act on the part of tv commercials is a bit dramatic. Especially when you consider the content of some which can be very offensive. With all due respect, I just don't understand what the big deal is about turning down the volume. If ANYTHING should be regulated in the commercial industry, it should be their content as some are realistically beyond inappropriate for daytime tv.

I'm just voicing my opinion, "dramatic" though it may be.

Gee whiz.

Lukkiirish - if you want the content of television programming to be regulated more, then find a friendly congressperson and have at it. It is a separate issue from volume control, as are babysitting regulations in Michigan and California's budget crisis.

Graywings, You really have no right to say what someone can and can't post in a thread. If you don't like my comments, don't read them, but we all post what we feel is relative. It's my opinion and to me it's relative.

AuntJen - Not trying to offend - Hope you know that. Most of the time, your comments crack me up especially when they are dramatic!

Sorry this hit a nerve with some of you. Yes there are more significant issues to worry about. I look at it this way. The industry is already regulated in that the commercial isn't supposed to be louder than the loudest part of the TV program. All they have to do is tone it down- to the average decibel level of the program. If they are already monitoring the decibel level it might not be a big deal to continue to monitor it at a different level.

There was a suggestion made that all we need to do to avoid the loud ads is to purchase a DVR and fast forward or use the remote to turn the volume down. Personally I don't find it very practical to sit there with a remote in my hand trying to avoid the commercials. My parents have enough trouble turning the TV on let alone utilizing a DVR and I'm sure they are not alone. It seems we are assaulted by noise everywhere we go. I don't find it unreasonable to try and control some of that cacophony in my own home.

tryin2grow - if there were no regulations on ad volume at all, I could see how you would find initiating volume control kind of strange. But I can't comprehend why adjusting an existing regulation is so strange to you. Laws and regulations need to keep pace with technological advances.

You may find this unnecessary because of your personal circumstances, but it is an issue to lots of other people. And the change in the regulation harms absolutely no one.

Graywings, thank you for reminding me why I stopped participating in this forum.

My sincerest apologies for missing the memo that you were Commander-in-chief of Home Decorating and your opinon and only your opinion counts.

OMG!! Thank you tryin2grow! I could not have said it better!!

Mcmann - I hear what you are saying, and yes LOL I think this topic as well as some other "things" definitely hit a nerve. Thanks for putting it into perspective.

I'm reminded of a quote attributed to Jonathan Swift:

"You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not reason himself into in the first place."

I'm sorry, but in the grand scheme of things, television volume control, at this time in our history, just doesn't make the cut for resources. At any level. Federal, state, or local.

We all have the simple power of hitting the MUTE button for those times when the commercials are terribly loud.

My take on reading about this proposed legislation is that we're already paying for regulation to control the volume of the commercials. This bill is just asking for a lower volume.
I'm not sure just hitting the mute button is something everyone can do easily- it can be quite difficult for the elderly, children and anyone who is also occupied reading the paper, preparing dinner, knitting etc. A 30 minute show only has 22 minutes of programming with 8 minutes of ads interspersed throughout- that's a lot of mutes.

Don't complain to any politician, because it has nothing to do with them. You need a sound compressor/limiter on your tv so that loud sound is limited and conversation is boosted (Particularly if you use external sound, like a bar. They used to make one for TV, Terk VR1 Automatic TV Volume Controller, but I see that some people are charging $100 so that won't work and besides, those are not stereo. If you use external sound, look for compresors under musical instruments, Like an Alesis stereo nano compressor or a DBX one. These have 1/4" inputs and outputs so you'll have to buy adapters. You should be able to fnd them under $50 with shipping. It doesn't matter that they're old. Once you fond the right setting you won't tinker with it again.