NBC affiliates in Maine refuse liquor ads - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, Jan 28, 2002

AP-Maine's two NBC affiliate TV stations have decided not to air the hard liquor ads that their parent network began accepting last month.

WCSH-TV, Portland, and WLBZ-TV, Bangor, already had policies not to accept local ads for hard liquor. After NBC became the first major net- work in 50 years to run liquor ads, the two stations began substituting promotional spots while managers considered what to do in the long run.

This week the two stations--both owned by media giant Gannett--decided that they will continue to not air the national liquor ads from NBC.

"We just don't feel it's appropriate for us to run them," said Steve Thaxton, president and general manager of WCSH. "That's not to say the decision won't someday change, if other networks start accepting the ads and they become prolific. But it's inconsistent with what our stations stand for."

Thaxton said recent deaths linked to drinking and driving, including the deaths of three teen-agers Sunday in Portland, helped convince him that ads for hard liquor should not be aired by the station.

The decision by Thaxton and WLBZ general manager Judy Horan was made last week, just as a group of Mainers interested in public health issues was beginning to call the stations and ask them not to run the ads.

Kate Perkins of the Maine Public Health Association praised the decision by the two affiliates.

"I think it's fabulous that they came to that conclusion. Drinking is the drug of choice in Maine, and anything that reduces the media pressure to drink or holds it at the same level is great," Perkins said. "We all know that the media has a tremendous impact on people's decision-making process."

Gannett, which owns 22 TV stations, confirmed Wednesday that each local station was free to make its own decision about accepting NBC's hard liquor ads. Thaxton also said that NBC cannot force affiliates to air the ads.

Thaxton said not airing the ads will not affect his stations' revenues.