CALM Act not very calming

It was about fifteen years ago when I first complained about the disparity in the level of volume between television programming and the commercials. As you are aware, the commercials are often considerably and sometimes annoyingly louder than the show. In 2010, Congress passed what it called the CALM Act, forcing television broadcasters to quiet the level of their commercials to match that of their programming. So why are commercials still so loud? There are a couple of reasons. First, the CALM Act only applies to television broadcasts, no streaming services, so commercials on HULU and other streaming platforms are exempt from the law. Second, despite the passage of the CALM Act, it isn’t being enforced. In the 14 years since the CALM Act was passed, there have been thousands of complaints to the FCC. But the agency sent just two letters to offenders and has yet to issue a single penalty. A new bill in Congress would amend the legislation to cover streaming services, while forcing the FCC to take enforcement when violations are reported. Let’s hope this time they give the law some teeth, so we can stay calm while watching television.