May 12, 2008
Turning down the volume on TV commercials
From your TV set, a man shouting about the great deals available at the used-car lot. The IHT reports.
"Broadcasting regulators like the FCC have long had guidelines to try to prevent this. Still, consumers insist that television channels continue to turn up the volume during advertising breaks in an effort to grab their attention.
In Britain, regulators moved last week to dial down the noise. The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, which sets British TV ad guidelines, adopted a new rule, saying TV ads should not be "excessively noisy or strident."
Many ads, according to the broadcast committee, are recorded using a technique called audio compression. This shrinks the range of sounds in a 30-second spot. That way the ads can remain within previous guidelines, which typically prevent advertising from being louder than the maximum volume in a program."
The guidelines advise broadcasters to use a piece of equipment called a loudness-level meter to ensure compliance, which can measure "subjective volume," the audio level that the ear perceives in a show with a variety of sounds. This, according to the committee, is the best way to deal with compressed ads."
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