House Panel OKs Bill To Lower Volume On TV Commercials

Lawmakers want TV broadcasters to turn down the volume during commercial breaks, and they are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to help.

A House panel on Thursday approved by a unanimous vote a bill requiring the Federal Communications Commission to prohibit TV commercials from being excessively loud.

"All of us have had the experience of enjoying a favorite program only to find ourselves scrambling for the remote control at the commercial break," said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Telecommunications Subcommittee.

The idea is hard to resist, but difficult to mandate. "Many different entities are responsible for producing and distributing content consumers see and hear. Each element may be recorded and provided at a different volume level," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., the subcommittee's ranking Republican.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., directs the FCC to adopt a recommended volume standards from an industry committee on digital television loudness.

TV stations, broadcasters, cable and satellite providers will have one year after the FCC adopts the rule to purchase equipment to modulate their broadcast volume under the bill. The bill includes waivers for small stations and operators that can demonstrate financial hardships.

Broadcasters say they are addressing the problem already. ABC, NBC, CBS Corp. (CBS) and Fox are individually implementing policies that attempt to control loud commercials.

ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co. (DIS). NBC is a unit of General Electric Co. (GE). Fox is owned by News Corp. (NWS), which also owns Dow Jones Newswires.

The committee also approved a bill to prevent telephone scammers from falsifying the name and phone number appearing on caller ID.

The House has passed the measure several times, but the Senate has yet to take up the legislation.

-By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; [e-mail]