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NBC to air liquor ads
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December 13, 2001: 7:08 p.m. ET
Network will run ads for distilled spirits after 9 p.m. on certain conditions.
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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - NBC said Thursday it will accept ads for hard liquor, making it the first major broadcaster to run distilled spirits ads in about 50 years.
The change will allow the ads to run on the network after 9 p.m. NBC is a unit of General Electric (GE: Research, Estimates). Guinness UVB, maker of Smirnoff vodka and other distilled spirits, will be the first advertiser under the new policy.
NBC's decision to run liquor commercials comes amid a recession that has depressed the television advertising market.
The decision could anger people concerned about alcohol abuse as well as brewers, who have been able to advertise beer without worrying about competition from hard liquor.
Officials at ABC, CBS and Fox said they had no plans to change their liquor advertising policies "at this time," Associated Press reported.
The change at NBC does not come without strings, however. All liquor advertisers must commit to at least a four-month long, on-air social responsibility campaign that promotes responsible drinking and designated driver programs. In addition, no ads can show people drinking alcohol.
As part of its advertising agreement, Guinness will kick off a multimillion-dollar responsibility campaign on the network this week.
NBC is also limiting what kind of programs during which liquor ads would run. Officials said 85 percent of the audience for any show that would feature liquor ads must be at least 21-years-old and the actors in the ads must be at least 30-years-old.
NBC also prohibits advertisers to feature active professional athletes endorsing its product.
A network executive said it hopes that others following NBC down this path also embrace what it believes are fairly restrictive guidelines for any liquor ads. 
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