FCC receives nearly 16,000 complaints of loud TV commercials

The Federal Communications Commission has received 15,850 complaints about loud TV commercials since new regulations went into effect in December of last year.

The rules require broadcast, cable and satellite television providers to keep the average volume of commercials at the same level as the programming containing them. The FCC's complaints run through June 5. In the first month that the regulations were in place, the FCC received 4,777 complaints about potential violations. The number of complaints has since died down after the initial publicity surrounding the new rules, the agency said. The FCC has yet to issue any fines for violations of the rules, but the commission said it is continuing to review the complaints, looking for "patterns or trends."