LUCAS ANDERS
The Nugget (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)

Turnin’ it down.

EDMONTON (CUP) — TV watchers no longer have to dart for the remote and turn down the volume every time a show goes to commercial.

The Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) has come to the rescue by setting standards for the sound levels of advertisments during television broadcasts.

MP Nina Grewal first brought forward volume regulating legislation in the form of Bill C-621 in February 2011.

“I am pleased that my legislation brought the issue to the floor, generated debate across Canada and produced action to address the issue,” Grewal said. “Regulators in the US and United Kingdom have already taken concrete steps to control the volume of commercials. It was time for the CRTC to follow suit with its own rules.”

Although Grewal brought the issue to parliament, the bill was never passed into law. But the CRTC went ahead with their own standards, which took effect Sept. 1.

“Today we must congratulate ourselves for a job well done, as we have now extinguished another nuisance from daily life,” Grewal said.

Grewal is claiming victory over the volume of commercials being reduced, but some think this change may have come too late to have any positive effect on the average Canadian.

“I have most of my shows on my computer,” said Northern Alberta Institute of Technology student Brett Freeman. “I don’t really listen to or watch a lot of commercials nowadays.”

Still, for many, watching commercials is unavoidable. NAIT student Josh Yaworski does not support loud commercials.

“It’s a shock thing,” he said. “Trying to get someone’s attention by suddenly changing the volume is a cheap alternative to having a properly-done advertisement. It’s not right.”

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Image adapted: Source