Lawmakers and consumer groups on December 20 blasted a recent decision by the NBC television network to begin running hard liquor advertisements during prime-time programming.

Several members of the US House attacked NBC, a subsidiary of General Electric, Inc., for a recent decision to allow spirits advertisements on programming that airs after 9 pm on weeknights. The decision makes NBC the first national broadcast network to air liquor ads since the spirits industry broke a self-imposed television ad ban in 1996.

Meanwhile, a consumer group known as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released polling data showing that 59% of American adults were "concerned" about NBC's decision to air the ads. Sixty-two percent said they were also concerned that the ads would air during the popular "Saturday Night Live" program, which has many young viewers.

NBC announced last week that it would begin airing liquor ads with strict standards governing them. Spirit manufacturers enacted a self-imposed moratorium on TV liquor ads in 1948, and then rescinded it in 1996. Since then, ads have appeared on cable outlets and some local broadcast affiliates.

Wolf and other lawmakers sent a letter to NBC executives praising them for sticking to the moratorium until now. "Why now your change of heart? It is a sad commentary that your bottom line today is more important to your company than the lives of young people tempted to drink or recovering alcoholics trying to beat their disease," the letter read.

NBC issued standards guaranteeing that liquor ads would only run during programs with less than a 15% under-21 audience. The company will also require all liquor ads it runs to cast only actors who are over 30 years of age.
George Hacker, who directs CSPI's alcohol research group, called NBC's standards "a joke."

"It's a clear sign that voluntary advertising standards don't work," he said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a statement saying that it "strongly opposes" NBC's advertising decision. The average age that children begin drinking is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls, according to the group.

"Considering alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes are the single most common form of death of teenagers, there is a compelling public health interest in protecting children and adolescents against alcohol advertising," read an AAP statement.

Reuters Washington, December 20, 2001