The days of having to dive for the remote control to turn down noisy TV commercials look to be numbered, with new rules set to be introduced banning excessively loud ads.
Guidelines on sound levels will be introduced into the TV advertising code on July 7, stating that "advertisements must not be excessively noisy or strident".
The move to tighten rules governing the sounds levels in TV ads comes after the Advertising Standards Authority received more than 100 complaints in 2007 from viewers complaining that some commercials were too loud.
"Often the problem arises because the audio files used in the ads have been compressed, making quieter sounds more pronounced or 'punchy'," said the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, the body responsible for writing the TV ad code.
"The result is that ads can sound subjectively louder than the programmes around which they appear."
To guard against this the new BCAP guidelines will state, specifically, that the "maximum subjective loudness of advertisements must be consistent and in line with the maximum loudness of programmes and junction material".
The body has held a full public consultation on the issue with the aim for the new rules to "provide more certainty for broadcasters" and minimise the annoyance "that can be caused to viewers".
"BCAP were acutely aware of the frustration that excessively loud or seemingly noisy ads were causing consumers," said a spokesman for the Committee for Advertising Practice.
"The consultation has taken account of their concerns and will ensure a level playing field across all ads in the same commercial break. This should help prevent consumers having to turn down the volume during ad breaks."
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