Curious Why Commercials Are Louder Than TV Shows
WBZ
It's one of the biggest topics on our curiosity web site, probably because it hits you at home, usually in the living room.
Karen from Leominster asks:
"Why are commercials so much louder than the TV shows?"
And Pam from Fitchburg says:
"It's extremely annoying."
SOUND FAMILIAR?
So what gives? Has it happened to you?
You've settled in for a relaxing evening watching your favorite show, but... well, let Doug Preble from Boston describe it.
"The commercial break starts and then the volume just comes right out at you," he says.
Doug is one of many who asked about this on our curiosity web site.
"It just screams at you," he complains.
It bothers Doug and his wife Judy so much that they take action.
"We hit the mute button when the commercial starts," he says.
Take that advertisers!
IS IT TRUE?
To find out what's going on we put your questions to WBZ-TV's guy in charge, Chief Engineer Jack Barry.
He says it's mostly a sense of "perception," and that there are limits on the sound levels that apply to both programs and ads, but here's what can happen.
The program normally ends with a quiet, 'we'll be right back,' and then the commercial says 'BUY ME!' And it just feels like it's a lot louder?
"Yes, that's correct," says Barry.
Advertisers have only 30 seconds, or less, to grab you so sometimes they produce their spots at the top of the audio limit.
Nuance is not their thing.
"They do want to get your attention so they're not going to be speaking as softly as perhaps the program you're just getting out of," says Barry.
KEEPING THE AUDIO DOWN
To make sure nothing is above the limits, WBZ has a piece of equipment called the Aeromax.
It's a limiter that keeps the audio consistent.
Most broadcasters and cable stations have similar equipment.
But even with the device, the sound on some commercials will go up, compared to the last audio on the show you're watching.
A 'REASONABLE LEVEL'
And even though we now understand why that happens, people like Doug and Judy will take matters into their own hands.
"If they could just kind of bring it down to where it's a reasonable level. I mean we'd sit and watch the commercials," says Doug.
Congress is considering a bill that would order the Federal Communications Commission to create new standards to control the loudness of commercials.
But the same bill went nowhere last year.
Be sure and join the conversation.
Visit our www.wbztv.com/curious and tell us what you want to know.
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