Commercials too loud? Congress may act

WASHINGTON -- Congress could make TV broadcasters turn down the volume on their commercials.

California Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is among the TV viewers who complain that the volume gets louder during commercial breaks. Eshoo found that it's a common complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. So, she drafted a bill aimed at keeping TV ads from playing noticeably louder than the programs they sponsor.

But Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, says Congress should have better things to do. He says he doesn't think anyone has ever been harmed by loud commercials.

The House is scheduled to vote on the proposal tomorrow. An identical measure is before the Senate. But some experts say even if it becomes law, viewers may not notice a difference.

The head of an industry group says sound spikes can be part of the storytelling. And some commercials may just seem noisy because they follow a quiet, intense scene in the TV show.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)