Loudness of TV Commercials


Why do some TV commercials seem significantly louder than the program materials to which they are attached?
kusina
I remember when cable tv was promised "commercial-free" YEAH RIGHT, that blew out like the wind.

Now, they added the annoying animation commercials running along the bottom of your screen DURING programming, along with the station's permanent insignia in the corner, they can't get enough, can they ?

So you suffer VISUALLY and AUDIBLY, plus we're PAYING for these services.
I believe it was Magnavox that used to sell a TV that lowered the volume of commercials. Has anyone other than me ever wondered why you have to pay for cable TV but still have to watch commercials? After all, commercials are supposed to pay for the use of the broadcast.
Rwwear

Yep....not fair at all, it's not like cable is cheap? We pay a high cable bill to watch a program full of commercials.

Dave
Because the broadcasters know you are going to get up and leave the room when the commercials are on. Move your beer refrigerator further from the tv.
The rule, as I remember it, is that a commercial can be no louder than the loudest MOMENT of the sponsored broadcast. This means, if you are watching an NBA basketball game and somebody hits a game winning shot, the commercials that come afterward can be played IN THEIR ENTIRETY at the volume level of the moment when the crowd went wild.

Reason number 13,245 why I don't watch TV...

Cheers.