""""," .""""'"', ....w....
"""".,,_ ..~!'>
...-.......00"., ........""'""
.. ,"'01;0'<."""""
...... CA/'IlWfL l, "''''''''''''TON
"'..... , LAU",_..,....W...-y
.........""".~
u.o..·..-o.so<.L-"
"""",,,",,,,,,,,,"'''-'':OOTA
'''''"""",-"_,,,,,-0
...... w"' ......,"""' ....
.......""".foUoS<A
""AUV~"'XA,<
"'","",J '>oOA<'._
,.. "'''''"T, """'" c:.uIOUN•
""'" .....,NI' """"''''''U'•
ODGI' r wo:r...._
-.-.."'".. ,""""'"
""•..,NT """""""
,,_...-"""'"~,
,.T>IIC.KJ lOOMfY,I'E""'VlY"''''
"""""','*'-,,-...
KnlV.V<l'T1'O w.........,,_
"'.,. ..."" Y-.
'lanitcd~mtes~cnatc
COMMITIEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE,
AND TRANSPORTATION
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-6125
ElU""""""," "N'_elM
_ .. "..-x' "'",",CAN"'''_'''''' ...,"'''',.. """,.."
WEB SITE: http://commerce.senate.gov
October 3, 2011
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chainnan
Federal Communications Conunission
445 It
h
Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
Last year, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act was
signed into law. This legislation, which is designed to prevent consumers from being subjected
to excessively loud television commercials, originated in its final fonn in the United States
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
While excessively loud advertisements may seem like a small thing, they have been the
source ofbig irritation for consumers for many years. In fact, the Federal Communications
Commission has received complaints about loud commercials since the inception ofcommercial
television, more than five decades ago. In passing the CALM Act, Congress sought to finally
turn down the volume on all television commercials, regardless ofthe entity responsible for
inserting them into the programming. Despite what some parties are now suggesting, we did not
intend to fix this problem for only a small fraction ofcommercials, leaving the majority of
advertisements free to blare and irritate television viewers.
I appreciate the efforts the Commission already has underway to implement the CALM
Act for consumers. I urge you to develop rules that will fix this persistent problem for all
television commercials.
Thank you.
Sincerely.
~::JD lCKEFE
Chairman
1383