Tobacco Documents Online

Advertising Age March 6, 1967 Cigaret_ Ads May Be Forced Off Air, Anello Says Ad Control Efforts 'Horrendous,' Cormstock Tells Broadcasters WASxzxGTON„ March 2-An of- i ficial of the National Assn. of Broadcasters expressed skepticism today about the long-run prospects for cigaret advertising on the air. i Sensing a trend toward more l control, Douglas Anello, the asso- I ciation's general counsel, told a I meeting of state broadcast'prest- : dents, "If I were a broadcaster over ; the next five to 10 years I would . be looking for sources of revenue to replace cigaret advertising." He volunteered his advice after Paul, B. Comstock, NAB's vp for government affairs, commented '' that cigaret advertisers might be l forced to withdraw from radio, ; and perhaps tv, if Congress goes ; ahead with some of the restrictions which have been under considera- ! tion.  Mr. Comstock said the attacks on cigaret advertising are based on ; some "vague" theory that the way , to control a dangerous product isl' to restrict the advertising of it. "I think cigaret advertising is in great danger," he said. "The evi- dence against cigarets is very great, and seems to have grown in the last year to 16 months." He referred to the likelihood that the Senate will be considering a bill requiring the disclosure of tar and nicotine contents in adver- tising and on packages. "Whether we can prevent the adoption of laws requiring disclosures of this kind, I don't know." Mr. Comstock said. "If a law were passed requir- ing boiler plate disclaimers, it would be the end of cigaret adver- 'tising on radio. It may not be as bad1n television, but it would def- initely look bad for radio. After II all, no advertiser would want to put such disclaiiners in, a 20- to 30- second advertisement."  Mr. Comstock emphasized that any self regulation the broadcast- ers and the cigaret companies put forward "helps show our sense of responsibility. Otherwise," he add- ed, "if the cigaret companies don't measure up, I don't think we can prevent these restrictions in ad- vertising." Mr. Anello interjected that while he was wholly in agreement with Mr. Comstock's philosophy, he felt that "trying to stem the tide is almost impossible. We have had the same experiences under both Democrats and Republicans," he observed~ "The best we can hope for is to try to slow the tide." Mr. Comstock said he decried the "horrendous" principle which has gained& currency in Congress that "if you feel prize fights are :fixed, you introduce a bill prohib- iting the broadcasting of prize fights. Or if you feel foreign cruise ships are unsafe, instead of, keep- ing the ships out of U.S. ports, you pass a law with a little rider re- Quiring all kinds of disclaimers in the advertising for the cruise ships."  While once again emphasizing his generali agreement with Mr. Comstock, Mr. Anello said the ar- gument that the product itself should be banned is "a little like .chopping off your head to stop a nose bleed. "The difference between a dis- claimer on cigarets and some other product, such as household appli- ances, for example,"' Mr. Anello said„ "is that cigarets involve a health issue."  He said the provisions of the 1966 law which requires detailed descrip- tions about safety features of for- eign ships were adopted through the efforts of domestic steamship op- erators "who are trying to make It so difficult for their foreign com- petitors that they won't be able to advertise at all." He said the adver- tising requirements had been "slipped" into the bill at the last minute, and escaped the attention of advertising groups. i Mr. Comstock said broadcasters are also endangered by a"tremen- Idous lobbying campaign" which has been organized by manufacturers who hope to get more frequenciess for industrial radio. This effort originated with equip- ment makers, he said, but' now has support from many other manufac- turers who use radioa as well as po- ice users alnd others. "If there is any change, of course, it would have to come out of the sector of the spec- trum now reserved for uhf televi- sion," he warned. # Earlier, Howard Bell, adminis+. trator of the association's radio, and tv codes, reported, in response' to a question, that NAB's code boards had considered a suggestion from Sen. Frank E. Moss (D., Utah ) that the association modify its guidelines so that smoking of. cigarets during commercials would be eliminated. Mr. Bell said "the board did not see fit to act' at this time," but that the matter is still pending.  At the same time, however, he I reported that the board had reaf-I firmed NAB's current guidelines i on cigaret advertising despite ob- I jections which~ have been raised by I some cigaret companies. "We will I continue to implement them with- out change,"' he declared. Mr. Comstock told the group i that cruise ship advertising may ! be forced off the air unless NAB ! can convince the Coast Guard to modify some proposed regulations which are being adopted as a re- ~===-sult of legislation which Congress ° passed last year• He added, how- - - ever, that under the law, the Coast Guard has little choice. -1 19 I ----E,-~ ..-