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California moves to outlaw too-loud advertisements on streaming services

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025

An overly loud ad that woke up a sleeping infant has led to a law that puts limits on how loud advertisements on streaming services can be. 

The US state of California is introducing a new law that will prevent advertisements on streaming services from being louder, on average, than the surrounding programming. 

Photo: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

This will complement federal (national) legislation in the United States that already sets standards for controlling the volume of advertisements on broadcast TV and cable channels. It is known as the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act and came into force in 2010. 

 

However, at that time streaming services were not commonplace and they were therefore excluded from the federal legislation. In recent years, streaming services have become the main viewing option for many Americans. 

 

“We heard Californians loud and clear, and what’s clear is that they don’t want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a programme,” the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom said when he signed the new bill last week. 

 

Added State Senator Thomas Umberg, who introduced the bill: “This bill was inspired by baby Samantha and every exhausted parent who’s finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work.” 

 

Samantha is the daughter of one of Umberg’s staff members, who told him about a noisy ad waking up his infant daughter while he was watching a streaming show. 

 

Opposition to the new law 

 

But there was initially opposition to the legislation from the Motion Picture Association and the Streaming Innovation Alliance, which represent streaming services including Disney and Netflix. 

 

“They said they do not have the ability to control volume settings on the devices on which their content is offered, unlike broadcast and cable TV providers,” the BBC reports. 

 

“Streaming ads come from several different sources and cannot necessarily or practically be controlled. 

 

“The bill was later amended with a legal provision that would bar individuals or private parties from suing streaming services for violating the law.” 

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Jason Lottering
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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.