Good, I'm happy that this finally got through just wish it went into effect come January next year. As pointed out the Consumer Union has listed this as a major complaint for many years and I'm positive their are more than 6000 people who complained, just not directly to the FCC. I've personally questioned my local provider and was told there was nothing they could do. The market was well aware of the annoyance of this and didn't do anything to rectify the problem and now new laws have been passed on our behalf to fix it.

Here's how it seems to work: Most people try to do the right and fair thing however a few people don't care about others and try to take the most they can while giving the least they can. When they rub enough people the wrong way those people complain however they are ignored and so a movement starts until enough energy and attention is brought to the subject. The next steps are protests and laws in an attempt to resolve the situation. This slows down or stops that specific path to taking however these people find another way to exploit others so they may take more and the cycle repeats. If more people would only try to be balanced and reasonable in taking and giving the world would be a better place. Or in other words, "treat others as you would be treated".

So if 6,000 people complain (that is .00002 of the population) then we should create a regulation that affects everyone? Again, I have heard these commercials and find them annoying. It seems that the vast majority of us are not satisfied with politicians but we are more than happy to let them rule the details of our lives. As far as the previous comment, it sounds to me like some form of voluntary communism. You can almost see "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" written between the lines.

I doubt the 6000 even come into it, it's more likely that this is an issue which annoys a lot of people, congressmen included... or nothing would have been done about it.

As ever though, those 6000 did get off their arses over the last few years and actually complained while the vast majority sat there and grumbled. If more people did that, the world would certainly be a better place.

All TV is already regulated - this phantom "communism" is already in place... this is just another bit of regulation and only the tip of the iceberg. Regulation of TV is why you don't see conflicts from a foreign perspective, uncensored news or tits and arses in your adverts.

It probably needs regulating, because advertisers will not turn it down of their own accord, because they do not want their ad to be quieter than the competition's. Then one advertiser will up it a notch and the rest will follow - this is obviously what has happened over the years.