Technologie i telekomunikacja · 03/06/2011

Implementation of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act

In this document, the Commission proposes rules to implement the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation ("CALM") Act. Among other things, the CALM Act directs the Commission to incorporate into its rules by reference and make mandatory a technical standard developed by an industry standard-setting body that is designed to prevent television commercial advertisements from being transmitted at louder volumes than the program material they accompany. Specifically, the CALM Act requires the Commission to incorporate by reference the ATSC A/85 Recommended Practice ("ATSC A/85 RP") and make it mandatory "insofar as such recommended practice concerns the transmission of commercial advertisements by a television broadcast station, cable operator, or other multichannel video programming distributor." As mandated by the statute, the proposed rules will apply to TV broadcasters, cable operators and other multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"). The new law requires the Commission to adopt the required regulation on or before December 15, 2011, and it will take effect one year after adoption. The document seeks comment below on proposals regarding compliance, waivers, and o