WASHINGTON (KMSP) -
The Federal Communications Commission's CALM Act, which limits the volume of TV commercials, goes into effect on Thursday.
The purpose of Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) is to prevent TV commercials from playing at louder volumes than the current program.
The FCC rules govern broadcasters as well as cable and satellite operators. The commission adopted the rules a year ago, but gave the TV industry a one-year grace period to adopt them.
"This is an issue people care about," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at a December 2011 meeting. "My wife has wondered for years when we were going to do something about this. Bottom line, the FCC is quieting a persistent problem of the TV age, or loud commercials."
Suspected violations can be reported at FCC.gov
