Stop Blaming Gramps..

For the Loud TV.

I work in the radio business, and we use audio processing to, shall I say, "Juice" the volume of our commercials. Many stations do the same with the music so loud commercials on the radio don't really exist.

However, in TV land, if they only apply the processing to the ads and not the shows, you get this:

(From Mediapost)

Are You Listening When It's Loud?

According to the findings of an Adweek Media/Harris Poll of 2,194 U.S. adults,86% of Americans say that compared to the TV shows themselves, television commercials seem louder. 57% say the commercials seem much louder. Just 12% say the shows and commercials are at the same level, and only 1% say the volume of the commercials is softer than the shows.

93% of those who say the ads are louder say it bothers them, with 62% saying it bothers them a lot. 31% say the fact that the commercials seem louder bothers them a little, while only 7% say it does not bother them.

There is an age difference when it comes to how loud the commercials seem:

• 92% of those 45 and older say the commercials seem louder
• 83% of those 35-44 say this
• 79% of 18-34 year think they are louder
• 70% of adults 55 and older say the volume of the commercials is much louder than the televisions shows themselves

Perception of Ad Volume Compared to The Show (Base: All U.S. adults)
		Age
Perception	Total	18-34	35-44	45-54	55+
Louder (net)	86	79	83	92	92
Much louder	57	42	55	60	70
Somewhat louder	29	37	28	33	22
The same level	12	18	17	7	8
Softer (net)	1	3	*	*	1
Somewhat softer	*	1	*	*	*
Much softer	1	2	*	-	*
Source: Harris Interactive, April 2010 (% Roundied; * indicates less than 0.5%)

There is also a difference in age over how bothersome this volume change is. Seven in ten adults 55 and older, and two-thirds of those 45-54 say the fact the commercials seem louder bothers them a lot. Just under half of those 18-34 say this bothers them a lot, while 40% say it bothers them a little.

Consumer Attitude of Bothersome Quotient (% of Respondents Who Feel Commercials Seem Louder)
		Gender		Age
"Botherness"	Total	Male	Female	18-34	35-44	45-54	55+
Bother (net)	93	92	95	88	94	96	95
Bothers me a lot	62	58	66	49	60	66	71
Bothers me a little	31	34	29	40	34	30	24
Does not bother me at all	7	8	5	12	6	4	5
Source: Harris Interactive, April 2010 (% Roundied; * indicates less than 0.5%)

Women are more likely to say the change bothers them a lot, while men, on the other hand, are more likely to say the changed volume bothers them a little, or does not bother them at all.

The report concludes that, since commercials are intended to sell products, when they become something that actually bothers consumers, advertisers need to consider looking to softer, more subtle ways to get their messages across.

Of note, says the report, in December 2009 the House of Representatives voted to pass the CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act, which will regulate the volume of commercials. The bill is currently being reviewed by a Senate committee.

For more information, please visit HarrisInteractive here.

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