Starting as early as the end of next month, television commercials broadcast at a volume that is louder than the programs they air next to could be fined, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Commission spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉) said the commissioners have approved an amendment to the Rules for Engineering Technology of Cable Radio and Television System (有線廣播電視系統工程技術管理規則), with a new article added to regulate the volume of television programs as well as commercials.
“We have received complaints from both audience members and lawmakers that they are sometimes startled by television commercials because they are way too loud,” Chen said when asked why the commission proposed the amendment.
“We think the problem can be solved through a change in the regulations,” Chen added.
According to the commission, the new article would require that the difference between the maximum volume of two adjacent television channels must not exceed 3 A-weighted decibels (dBA).
Moreover, the maximum volume of any two television channels must not have a difference larger than 6dBA.
For commercials aired during a television program, the new article says that the commercials’ equivalent continuous sound pressure level must not exceed those of adjacent program segments by 3dBA.
The maximum volume of a commercial must not be higher than the maximum volume of adjacent program segments by 3dBA.
Sheen Jinn-Chyuan (沈進泉), section chief of the commission’s technology management department, said all the differences can be measured with machines.
“If a commercial lasts 15 seconds, then we can measure the equivalent continuous sound pressure levels of 15-second program segments before and after the commercial,” Sheen said.
Sheen said the NCC would display the amendment in a public notice for at least a week to solicit public opinion, which would help it make minor changes the amendment’s contents.
After the amendment takes effect, cable system operators caught violating the rules would first receive a warning. Those who fail to improve could face a penalty of between NT$50,000 and NT$500,000.
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