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Culture

California Aims To Turn Down Volume On Streaming Ads

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California Wants to Turn Down Volume on Ads Played by Streamers

The bill makes Netflix, Prime, and other streaming services regulate ad volume. It passed unanimously and now goes to the state governor. Is it time for similar legislation here in Canada?

California Wants to Turn Down Volume on Ads Played by Streamers
The logos for Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Sling TV on a remote control, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 13, 2020. Jenny Kane/AP Photo

Netflix and other video streamers might need to chill a bit more when it comes to the volume of commercials played in California.

California lawmakers want to moderate blaring advertisements that play louder than the shows. They passed a bill on Sept. 22 to address the issue.

“Have you noticed the increased volume of ads in the middle of your favorite shows? They’re so jarring!” Santa Ana Democrat Sen. Tom Umberg said about the bill on social media. “If they can target ads to me based on my age and favorite cereal, I have the utmost faith they could fix this problem.”

Senate Bill 576 passed the Legislature unanimously and was sent to the governor’s desk.

If signed, the bill would go into effect July 1, 2026, to close a loophole that exempts streaming services from complying with the national CALM Act, enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The federal rules were adopted in 2011 and went into effect a year later. They require commercials to have the same average volume as the programs they accompany.

The Epoch Times

The way people watch shows and movies, however, has changed. Consumers are using entertainment apps, or video streaming services, much more often now, and these haven’t kept up with the protections, according to Umberg.

“As a result, consumers are increasingly subjected to loud, disruptive commercial advertisements with no regulatory safeguards,” Umberg said in a legislative analysis. “By ensuring that commercial advertisements do not play at a volume higher than the primary video content, this bill enhances the viewing experience and protects individuals with hearing sensitivities—including seniors, children, and those with auditory processing disorders—from sudden and jarring noise spikes.”

Netflix pioneered the switch to streaming services by introducing video streaming in January 2007, followed by Hulu in 2008, Amazon Prime Video in 2011, and Disney+ in late 2019.

The services have quickly become a household staple, Umberg added.

The bill does not give the state any enforcement power and doesn’t include a way for consumers to report violations.

State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) speaks at a Public Safety Committee hearing in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Senate)
State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) speaks at a Public Safety Committee hearing in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. Screenshot via California State Senate

The legislation faced opposition from the Motion Pictures Association, which represents Walt Disney Studios, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

According to the group, the legislation was “unnecessary” as the studios were working voluntarily on the issue of loud advertisements.

Many streaming services have undertaken efforts to adjust the loudness of ads that come from server-side ad insertion. They are also working with the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Audio Engineering Society to establish the best way to “normalize” the volume level of advertising, according to the association. For the Silo, Jill McLaughlin/ The Epoch Times.

Vintage

Another Million Dollar Movie Poster Auction

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The stunning three sheet movie poster for the lost 1926 Paramount big budget silent film The American Venus realized $35,850 to lead the day in Heritage Auctions’ July 25-26 Vintage Movie Posters Signature Auction in Beverly Hills. The auction realized, in total, more than $1.45 million. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

Controversy surrounds this 1932 Disney cartoon- in one scene, Mickey Mouse is seen using a cigarette lighter that has a painted swastika on it. In 1932, the world did not fully understand the significance of the swastika as it would relate to the rise of Naziism. image: Heritage Auctions

“Demand was steady and prices were, overall, quite good across the more than 1,300 lots we featured in this auction,” said Grey Smith, Director of Movie Posters at Heritage. “We saw a trifecta of focuses in this auction as collectors went after early Hollywood, Disney animation and Universal Horror. At the end of the day, we were all quite pleased with the solid results.”

The American Venus (Paramount, 1926) three sheet is a film that is now lost to history, minus a few trailers. What is known about it, however, is that the poster spectacularly features Louise Brooks, though this was only her second film appearance. She was relatively unknown at the time and her role in the film was very minor. The producers, however, obviously realized her star potential as they featured her exclusively on the poster. Brooks would go on to become one of the most iconic female stars of the late silent era.

“Brooks crafted a personal style that left an indelible mark on 1920s popular culture that’s still imitated today,” said Smith. “She achieved a cult status rarely garnered by entertainers of that time and is clearly a star that still resonates with collectors at the top of the hobby.”

Vintage posters were emotional, engaging and uniquely hand-crafted before hitting the printing press. image: Heritage Auctions

Rare and early Disney posters always create a stir when they appear at auction and the presence of a 1932 United Artists one sheet for Disney’s The Wayward Canary, depicting Mickey and Minnie Mouse, set collectors buzzing on its way to a $26,920 final price realized. Released in November 1932, the same year that the Academy awarded Disney a special Oscar for his creation of a nationwide phenomenon, Mickey Mouse, this is a key addition to any top Disney collection.

Universal Horror posters are still the gold standard in movie posters and this auction boasted several prime pieces from the top films of the genre, including a beautiful pre-war 1935 Belgian one sheet for Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale’s sequel to his 1931 masterpiece Frankenstein that quickly became a classic in its own right, realizing $20,315 from a determined collector, while a 1943 one sheet for Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man — often cited as one of the best posters in the Universal horror cannon — was the subject of intense collector interest before finding a new home at $15,535.