One year ago today, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation act was passed into law. Oh hey, that spells C.A.L.M. – those whacky Senators! Long story short: commercials have to be the same volume as the shows that they run with. Don’t get too excited though, the battle may be won, but the war isn’t over.
First off, we still have to wait another year. The law was passed on December 15, 2010 and in it the FCC was given one year to come up with rules. They finally did that – just in the nick of time – this past Tuesday. The rules don’t get enforced until December 13, 2012.
For reasons that elude me, the law is being reported as saying that “advertisements have to be the same average volume as news broadcasts” which a simple check on the FCC’s web site shows isn’t really the case. The FCC is saying that ads have to “have the same average volume as the programs they accompany” – which is a much better rule seeing as all the “action” news these days is about a hundred times louder than most of the rest of what’s on TV.
Dig a little deeper and we find that if they say it will cost too much, providers can file for a “financial hardship” waiver and get another year’s exemption, with the option for an additional year’s exemption. That’s close enough as makes no difference to 2015 before everyone is well and truly in compliance. Maybe by then YouTube will also have figured out how to stop running the same goddam ad every other video.
When this passed, my wife complained that Congress was wasting its time on what amounts to a nuisance item.
I say let 'em. The more time they spend passing laws on inane things like this and investigating MLB and BCS, the less time they have to pass laws that really screw up the country.
Like SOPA!
Oh shit, that goes to the house today.
Honestly, that scares the shit out of me. It is one of the first times that we will be flat out censored. No morality clauses like profanity on TV, just censored. This quote applies to so many things…
First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Same here. We're inching closer and closer to being a police state, all in the name of "protecting our freedoms", which they keep taking away.
[youtube 179_N4Wf2GU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=179_N4Wf2GU&feature=related youtube]
I think most modern TVs have software built in that accomplish this same goal.
No. My Vizio bought in 2010 doesn't have it.
Same here with my Vizio (awesome company). I had a Phillips tube TV that had the smart sound. This was way back when… I think Cleese was their pitchman.
Either my 5 year old Sony Bravia has it or DirecTV and Dish have it. Or I never noticed because I use the DVR and skip the commercials.
Either way, it is a non issue for me.
My old CRT does, but my new LCD does not. I'm pretty sure it's a conspiracy by Big Advertising. Kind of like GM buying up tram systems.
Maybe that is an advertising option. An extra $3k per dB of volume boost.
None of ours do, but I'm pretty fast with the mute button so it's pretty much a non-issue for me.
This takes effect in Canada in 09/2012 and I can't friggin wait. I've often forgotten what I've been watching at times because I've reflexively changed the channel because of the commercial din, then not clicked back.
You've gone TV-less as well? I wonder how many folks around here have done likewise. For me, I didn't watch the tube much as it was and didn't particularly want to move a 200+ pile of glass and plastic when I moved a while back.
I have gone three years and six years with no TV at different times. I may look into this again soon because my reading habits have gone from constant to sporadic and that makes my brain sad.
TV free since 2007. I also went internet free for a month, but decided it was a luxury worth paying for.
I've gone to OTA and streaming only, no cable or dish. But I still have the 42" flat screen and the 55" (4:3) projection HDTV.
Yeah, it's not that I never watch anything that has been on a TV network at some point and I have an older projector for the occasional movie, but I don't even get the OTA junk. Even when I had a TV and Netflix, I would mostly watch stuff on the laptop out of sheer laziness. The TV got turned on maybe once a week. Besides, the look of utter deflation on cable salespeoples' faces is absolutely priceless. Some of them just can't fathom the idea that I don't have a TV and am not shopping for one.
I'm sort of the opposite. I use a program called Playon out of laziness. It lets me stream Hulu and a bunch of other stuff over the XBOX, PS3, or Wii. Yeah, when the cable and dish salespeople ask what service I have and I tell them over the air and Playon/streaming they just sort of say nevermind.
I love doing that.
"Finding everything all right? Good, good….hey, one quick question for you — do you use cable or satellite?"
"Neither, actually."
"…oh. Smart man."
Wasn't sure whether the guy's response was patronizing or not, but I figured I'd take it at face value.
I don't have to worry about this; in the few instances when I actually do watch television, it's downloaded and stored on my AppleTV, without commercials, to watch as I see fit.
For everything else, I just talk to Techie, who will then spend the next two hours telling me every single tiny detail of the television program I wasn't interested in watching in the first place, and recounting every line verbatim and describing every facial expression. Unfortunately he only does this for Saturday Night Live and Dancing with the Stars or Community, or some other show thing.
Seriously, I'm not even kidding. I hate Saturday Night Live. I hate it, hate it, hate it. It hasn't made me laugh in… decades. And yet, against my will, every goddamn week Techie tells me every detail of that week's episode.
I've written a letter to the governments of our respective nations asking them to outlaw Techie. Thus far, nobody has taken up the cause. Maybe I need to start a fundraiser.
Just remember, if Techie goes you're going to have to hire someone else to write Startup. Chances are, the only one that will apply will be PrawoJazdy. Then every Startup will be exposing your secret hatred of kittens.
Our daily missives about Dearthair's secret hatred of kittens always cheer me up. I think it should become its own column.
I hear he wears their heads as finger warmers.
It's all a vicious lie.
It's children I hate, not kittens. Other than that little detail, carry on.
I love children. You just need a good marinade.
Me too, but I can't finish a whole one.
Techie can't go anywhere. I have a safety deposit box full of blackmail material that I'll release one-at-a-time if he ever tries it.
YOU LIE. YOU LIE.
I have never once watched, never mind talked about, Dancing with the Stars.
Don't worry, I value his opinion about as much as i put stock in what Dr. Phil says.
I am so taking away your IntenseDebate points.
Oh come on. The man has been on a roll lately. I purposely scroll down the comments to look for the mouse to see what
utter sillinesssituational humor he has bestowed upon us.Fine then, just a simple flogging.
Hey, thanks… I think…
Also, bear, not mouse.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RHbear.svg
It's not a weasel?
Don't take it too hard. That link blows my anglerfish theory out of the water, too.
<img src="http://edu.glogster.com/media/4/26/99/92/26999273.jpg" width="200">
The fins on pj134's avatar always did seem a little misshapen anyway.
If it's any consolation, the original draft said "we" but I decided not to out everyone else.
Floggings for everyone!
So, it's just another Thursday.
I'll put a reindeer bell on the end of the lash to add some holiday spirit.
Oh my! Be still my fluttering heart!…..eh, it's just a low battery.
I'll get the jumper cables!
Make sure you get the polarity right this time!
I get it backwards ONE time, and I never hear the end of it! Besides, that was hilarious!
Okay, not for you, I'll admit…
Yes yes, ho ho ho. I tasted burnt insulation for days afterwards, and I had to throw away that set of teeth after I dug them out of the wainscoting.
Gets boring, doesn't it?
looks like i showed up just in time.
Good thing you decided to speak only for yourself. I don't value Deartháir's opinion anywhere near that highly.
I know you'll enjoy the flogging, so I am taking your precious, precious points.
Sigh. Still, it's a step up from threatening to shoot me. Or at least shoot at me. With one of my own damned guns, as I recall.
That I don't remember. Which is not to say that it didn't happen.
How about I just give you a gold star so I can take it away again as punishment?
To be fair, it was several months ago….
http://hooniverse.com/2011/03/31/hooniverse-truck…
I think I've still got the last gold star you gave me, but I've sort of lost track. Call it even?
I had totally forgotten about that. That whole thread just made me laugh my ass off.Seriously. Right off. I need krazy glue.
Yeah, that was a winner.
Stylized weasel > Deartháir. That's good to know.
I've been cable free for about a year now, due to financial
constraints. Not that bad, but I'm going thru the local branch
of the public library at a hellofa clip…
Just for fun, I dig out all the old vhs tapes I made over the
years and watch them. Old commercials are funny.
I'm thinking of getting a bundle from Verizon once I get
a job, and move to fiber as well. This modem gets wonky
after awhile. Anybody got an working Westell 327W with
Verizon programming lying around they don't need?