Video streaming services: commercial advertisements.

Senator Umberg's proposal to regulate commercial advertisement volume on video streaming platforms would extend federal broadcast standards to California's streaming services, requiring them to maintain consistent audio levels between advertisements and programming content.

The measure creates new oversight of streaming platforms that deliver video content directly to California consumers via internet protocol. Under the proposed requirements, these services must ensure their commercial advertisements do not exceed the volume of accompanying video content, matching the standards established by the Federal Communications Commission's Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act for traditional broadcasters and cable providers. The rules would not apply to television broadcast stations, cable operators, or streaming services that do not include commercial advertisements.

This addition to California's Business and Professions Code mirrors existing federal regulations that mandate volume consistency between programming and advertisements across television broadcast stations and cable networks. The measure would place streaming platforms under similar audio level restrictions when serving California viewers, while maintaining the current exemption for services without commercial advertising.