Don't touch that sound dial!

Politico

24-06-2025

Presented by California Resources Corporation
QUIET ON SET: State Sen. Tom Umberg just wants to watch TV without being subjected to blaring commercials. Hollywood's biggest streaming platforms wish he'd keep his hands off the volume dial.
The Santa Ana Democrat wants to ban platforms like Netflix and Hulu from airing ads louder than the shows and movies they accompany. His SB 576, would close a loophole in a 2010 federal law (authored by former California Rep. Anna Eshoo) that already bans ear-splitting ads on cable and broadcast TV but doesn't cover streaming services.
Umberg argues it's a simple way to solve a recent spike in volume complaints and preserve peace of mind for people like Zach Keller, his legislative staffer who said loud streaming commercials are waking up his infant daughter.
'The golden rule is you've got to keep the baby asleep, and anything that wakes that baby up should be closely scrutinized — as should streaming services,' Umberg testified today, minutes before his bill cleared the Assembly Privacy Committee.
And given California's outsized sway in the entertainment industry, there's a chance Umberg's bill could set a de facto nationwide standard if he emerges victorious.
'It's disruptive and an annoyance,' Umberg told California Decoded in an interview. 'If we can [ban] it at the federal level … we certainly can do it for streaming services.'
Hollywood begs to differ. The Motion Picture Association and Streaming Innovators Alliance, which together represent entertainment giants including Disney, Paramount, Amazon and Netflix, have barged in with last-minute objections, urging lawmakers to derail Umberg's effort.
In a four-page letter sent last week, the groups argued they're already exploring ways to address ad volume issues. Yet they also said streaming platforms have 'no ability' to control volume settings on every device where their content is offered — much less regulate 'ready-to-watch commercials sourced from thousands of advertisers.'
'Unlike in the broadcasting [and] cable network environment, where advertisers sell their ads directly to the networks, streaming ads come from several different sources and cannot necessarily or practically be controlled by streaming platforms,' Melissa Patack, the MPA's vice president of state government affairs, testified Tuesday.
So can streamers control ad volumes, or can't they? Patack told the committee that's beyond streamers' grasp for now, but that platforms could address the issue if given time to work on a solution with audio engineers, free from legal repercussions outlined in Umberg's bill.
But Umberg thinks streamers are more than capable of turning down the volume — it's just a question of whether they want to.
'They know how old I am. They know what cereal I like,' he testified. 'They can figure out how not to increase volume.'
A version of this report first appeared in California Decoded, POLITICO's morning newsletter for Pros about how the Golden State is shaping tech policy within its borders and beyond. Like this content? POLITICO Pro subscribers receive it daily. Learn more at www.politicopro.com.
IT'S TUESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to [e-mail].
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
PUT IT IN WRITING: Legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom reached a budget agreement that delays cuts to Medi-Cal and safety net programs while closing a $12 billion spending gap, our Eric He reports for POLITICO Pro subscribers.
One unresolved piece of the deal, a housing proposal by state Sen. Scott Wiener to exempt many types of urban housing projects from environmental review, will be taken up by legislators later this week.
The rest of the budget agreement, which lawmakers are expected to approve on Friday before sending to Newsom for his signature, largely reflects the priorities of the Democratic supermajority in the state Legislature that rejected many of the governor's proposed slashes.
Amid fierce backlash from progressives and advocacy groups, Democratic state lawmakers sought to stave off many of Newsom's proposed cuts, turning instead to deferrals and borrowing from state reserves. They are banking on California's economic outlook improving in future years, allowing the state to reduce the severity of the reductions.
'Under very difficult circumstances, we passed a solid budget that protects California's values,' Wiener said in an interview. 'And I'm proud of the result.'
IN OTHER NEWS
TAKING CHARGE: California Rep. Robert Garcia won his bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, beating out Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch in today's caucus vote, our Nicholas Wu reports.
Garcia, 47, secured a first-ballot majority after winning the backing of the caucus' powerful Steering and Policy Committee on Monday evening.
'We'll get immediately to work,' he told reporters following the vote. First on the agenda, Garcia added, was meeting with the Oversight Committee staff 'to let them know that we're ready for consistent leadership.'
MILEAGE MAY VARY: Senate Democrats introduced a bill today that would significantly overhaul how California regulates transportation fuels amid concerns about high gas prices and closing refineries, our Alex Nieves reports for Pro subscribers.
State Sen. Tim Grayson, a moderate Bay Area Democrat, amended SB 237 — which previously dealt with property transfers — into a sweeping proposal that would cap the price of credits that fuel manufacturers can buy and sell through the state's low-carbon fuel standard.
It would potentially transition California away from its unique gasoline blend and instead align gas specifications with other western states.
State Sens. Melissa Hurtado, Jerry McNerney and Laura Richardson are signed on as joint authors.
WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY
— Members of Congress continue to buy pharmaceutical stocks, even as President Donald Trump's administration slams the industry. California Rep. Ro Khanna leads his party in purchases. (POLITICO)
— A DoorDash executive was among the eight people killed on Lake Tahoe after a powerboat capsized during a sudden storm. (San Francisco Chronicle)
— Soldiers and their families have been calling the GI Rights Hotline with concerns about Trump's deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)
AROUND THE STATE
— The San Diego City Council finalized compromise budget funding for brush management, flood prevention and recreation programs that Mayor Todd Gloria tried to veto. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
— A state audit revealed that a charter school in Sacramento received more than $180 million in state funds that it was not eligible for following little oversight by state and local educational agencies. (Sacramento Bee)
— The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors used for the first time its newly granted power to remove an elected sheriff for misconduct, among other violations. (East Bay Times)
— compiled by Juliann Ventura