While I have no issues with my congresswoman, Anna Eshoo (she sent me a lovely pot holder, advertising her support for another candidate), I am amused by her new legislation. Eshoo is seeking to pass a bill to limit the "maximum subjective loudness" of commercials.
I do agree that commercials can be too loud, however, isn't this a little past prime time? A lot of people (not all, I know) Tito past (or Myth TV in my case) every and all commercial. And really, how hard is it to turn down the volume on a commercial with the remote, or have we become that lazy? Has anyone ever gone deaf, had a heart attack or stroke, or gone into a fit of violence due to the sudden volume change, anyway?
In honor of previous legislation regulating technology that actually requires more technology--think broadcast flags, analog shutoff--Shoo should push dynamic noise control requirements for set-top boxes, and even the TV itself. Think of the windfall to Wolfson, AMS, and other chip companies, and the great branding opportunity for the electronics manufacturers...of course, encouraging more technology deployment serves Eshoo's local constituents quite well, too.

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