Given recent history, it is increasingly obvious that a deeply divided Congress can't agree on much without acrimonious debate. There still are a few instances, however, when common sense prevails and members of the House and Senate put aside political, personal and philosophical differences to act responsibly on behalf of constituents. Approval of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act - known as CALM, an appropriate acronym - is a rare example of such high-minded behavior.
Simply put, the legislation requires that television commercials do not exceed the maximum volume of the programs in which they are aired. That's not earth-shaking legislation, of course, but it does address and fix a problem that vexes U.S. consumers.
Excessively loud TV commercials consistently have ranked among the top consumer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission for decades. Indeed, agency officials report that gripes about the issue have topped the list for 21 of the last 25 commission reports. In what has become an increasingly rare response, legislators not only heard the complaints, they acted upon them.
The CALM Act, sponsored by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo of California, literally will lower the volume of television ads. The new standard won nearly universal support in Congress. The Senate unanimously passed the bill in the fall, and the House approved it by voice vote earlier this month. President Barack Obama signed it into law without much fanfare last week.
That's the way the system should work. There was discussion about the bill, but it was civil and to the point. There were some differences of opinion about the requirements put forth in the legislation, but they were mostly procedural and were ironed out amicably without the inevitable partisan posturing that seems to mark just about everything in Congress these days. It was a rare and a welcome victory for civility in an institution where that commodity has been noticeably absent lately.
Consumers looking for immediate TV noise abatement won't find it. They'll have to rely on the mute button on the remote control for a bit longer. Most broadcasters and cable operators have a year to comply with the new requirements. A few small TV stations and cable companies might qualify for a waiver that provides an additional year before compliance, but that number is expected to be small. Most outlets, in fact, are expected to quickly comply with the requirements enacted by a nearly unified Congress. And why not? Doing so should make viewers happy.