Eshoo, Whitehouse File Bill to Update Calm Act Ad Loudness Curbs

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., filed the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Modernization Act Tuesday in a bid to update the 2010 Calm Act's bar on excessively loud TV ads. The FCC Media Bureau sought comment last year in docket 21-181 on whether the FCC needs to update its existing Calm Act implementation rules at Eshoo's behest (see 2104200001). The Calm Modernization Act would extend the 2010 law's excessively loud ad bar to streaming services and would strengthen the FCC's ability to investigate and enforce violations. The measure would require a study analyzing the existing law's effectiveness in moderating ad loudness. Since the original law's enactment "streaming services have recreated the problem of loud ads because the old law doesn’t apply to them, and consumers continue to complain about loud ads on broadcast, cable, and satellite TV," Eshoo said. "Today, we’re updating the legislation for the benefit of consumers who are tired of diving for the mute button at every commercial break." Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., signed as co-sponsors. Eshoo's office cited support from Consumer Reports.