Why Do So Many Tv Shows, Particularly Documentaries, Have Background Music So Loud It Drowns Out The Dialogue?

[Khandro]

Is it me, the set, or the production?

[Sipowicz]

Eh?!

[Caran]

I find it very annoying but OH cannot hear the programmes because of the background noise.

[tonyav]

I find that it's usually the adverts ( commercial stations ) that are louder than the programme that your watching.

[vulcan42]

I think it's to do with producers insatiable desire not to have silence or dead air as it's called, on any programme. Even the traffic report on radio 2 has a drum beat in the background.

[Khandro]

I have been hunting around the net and somewhere it is said that decreasing the 'audio dynamic range' in the 'sound' settings can help.
I have yet to search my set for it but will do so.
Caran; Does OH wear a hearing aid ? - I do, maybe this can accentuate the problem.

[aelmpvw]

background music on crime documentaries drives me mad ... totally pointless

[Bigbad]

It's me too.
I have TV loud and subtitles, but if I try to watch a channel without subtitles, I can’t hear the speech because of the music, and if I put my hearing aids in (I don’t wear them very often) then it just makes the background music louder than the speech, so I have to give up.
Most annoying.

[naomi24]

It's not just the background noise - applause and whooping and cheering from the audience often spoils programmes for me too, most notably QI. I often miss what's being said through it all.

[agchristie]

Yes,it is highly annoying on many shows.

They even added a jungle drum beat years ago to 'Final Score' when reading the football results.

Who comes up with these ideas?!

[douglas9401]

It's a well known fact that the human brain can't accept anything as true without soaring piano music to indicate triumph and plucked strings to indicate that if the programme ever had any merit it's long gone and is now just a habit.

[hereIam]

I've heard these complaints before, but background noise and audiences joining in has never bothered me, in fact I prefer it to total quiet. For me, it all adds to the programme. So, no complaints from me !

[dance2trance]

The best prog for sweeping music of menace is Law and Order Special Victims Unit.