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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TV liquor ads in 1948, and then rescinded it in 1996.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
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