TV EXECS MUST RESIST BOOZE AD TEMPTATION

Alcohol is a deadly drug that kills in a variety of ways and ruins lives in
even more ways, but many people do use it in harmless moderation, and
outlawing it, this nation learned during Prohibition, causes more problems
than it solves.

Our society's compromise solution has been to keep it legal but to try to
encircle its abuse through such means as close regulation of liquor stores
and even, up to five years ago, a policy of the liquor industry that it
would not advertise on TV.

Sad to say, the liquor industry abandoned its noble stance, leading some
cable networks to begin accepting hard-liquor ads. But not the broadcast
networks. Not until now, anyway. This month, NBC decided to break from the
pack and accept booze ads.

It is not hard to figure out why -- the broadcast networks are suffering
because of increased competition, a serious advertising recession and all
the non-commercial time devoted to coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks. The alcohol industry can provide millions that could help make up
for some of the financial damage.

NBC should return to its former policy, and that's true even though its new
policy would include a number of strict rules about the advertising, such
as being careful to air the commercials mostly from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. when
the little ones are supposedly in bed.

National advertising is powerful, which is why people pay so much money for
the chance. TV advertising could lead to more drinking, and not just by
adults, but also by those teens who weren't tucked in at 9 p.m. If NBC
should profit handsomely from the venture without too much negative
feedback, other networks will likely follow suit.

NBC -- and the cable networks, too -- need to do some reconsidering here in
part because of the heavy responsibilities implied by the extraordinary
privilege they have of reaching out to homes across the nation. They have
and should have considerable leeway to do what they like, but as the
founders of this nation understood, freedoms can endure only when
accompanied by "public virtue," that is, by the willingness of people to do
the right thing for the larger community even when not compelled to by law.

The social costs of the advertising could be extremely high. While
Prohibition will not return and free speech should be allowed, lawmakers
could well decide that legislative toughness is needed to compensate for a
lack of good citizenship.