Schakowsky to Oval Office; President Obama Signs CALM Act into Law

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WASHINGTON, DC (December 15, 2010) —Today Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) participated in a ceremony in the Oval Office where President Barack Obama signed the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act into law.  The legislation passed by voice vote in the House and also in the Senate, an indication of broad support.

Schakowsky co-sponsored the CALM Act, which remedies a decades-old complaint: that the volume on television commercials is often many times louder than that of television programming.

"Since the 1960s, consumers have complained about the jarring effect of television commercials that jump considerably in volume — a trick used by the ad industry to grab viewers' attention,... said Schakowsky. "Decades later, thanks to overwhelming bipartisan support for the CALM Act, this annoyance campaign is finally over....

The CALM Act mandates broadcast stations to use available technology to ensure that volume remains steady — at the level set by the viewer — from programming to advertisements.

"This new law may not create peace on earth, but it definitely contributes to peace and calm at home,... said Schakowsky. "I have yet to find a single person who doesn't immediately smile and cheer its passage....