Claim: LOUD AND CLEAR (commonly used in television shows, movies, literature, and by radio operators) means Excellent copy with no noise; while LOUD BUT DISTORTED means the signal strength is very strong but the audio is distorted.
Evidence: One of these reports, "LOUD AND CLEAR", is commonly used in television shows, movies, literature, and by radio operators, commonly without knowing the source or the rest of the standard reports (hence the much-reduced frequency with which the other combinations are used). LOUD AND CLEAR means Excellent copy with no noise LOUD BUT DISTORTED means the signal strength is very strong but the audio is distorted.