GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Does it seem like commercials are louder than the programming you watch on television? KARE 11 viewers apparently think so, regularly emailing or posting questions about the volume of broadcast ads.

Many say they've noticed commercials actually do appear to be louder than the programs they split up, even though there are supposed to be rules banning the practice. It sounded like something to VERIFY.

We went straight to the website of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency in charge of America's broadcast standards. And yes... we 'can' verify there are rules in place regarding the volume of television commercials, based on the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) act.

The FCC rule mandates that "T-V stations are prohibited from boosting the average volume of commercials to levels beyond the programs they accompany..."

That 'average' term, however, is where things get slippery. Commercials are measured in 'average' volume, meaning advertisements may seem too loud at times because volume can be cranked up at key moments, as long as there are 'quieter' moments in the same commercial. As long as the loud and soft moments balance each other out to make for an 'average' volume level, the spots are still in compliance.

The FCC says on its website that adjusting the audio settings on your TV may help moderate the audio spikes. ManyTVs and home theater systems have features to control loudness, such as automatic gain control, audio compression, or audio limiters, that can be turned on to provide a more consistent volume level across programs and commercials.

You can also file a complaint by going to the FCC website. After all, the agency does not monitor programming for loud commercials, saying quote... "We rely on people like you to let us know... if there's a problem."

SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission