Eshoo Seeks FCC Probe of Complaints of Loud TV Ads for Calm Act Violations

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., asked the FCC to “investigate a reported increase in complaints about loud TV ads that may violate” the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act “and take enforcement actions as appropriate.” The 2010 law (see 1012170090), written by Eshoo, “led to a decrease in complaints about TV ad loudness,” she said in a letter Tuesday to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. But former Chairman Ajit Pai indicated last year that the FCC “never brought an enforcement action under the law, even though the FCC receives thousands of complaints. His response also indicated that CALM Act complaints were increasing in the first half of 2020,” Eshoo said. A news report “using more recent data shows that complaints increased sharply from April 2020 through February,” and 2021 is likely to be the “worst year” for such complaints since the law went into effect, she said. “This worries me a great deal.” The FCC didn’t comment.