Television Welcomes New Responsible Liquor Advertising Code

New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 1 August 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Television Welcomes New Responsible Liquor Advertising Code

The New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council welcomes the new code for liquor advertising, developed by the independent ASA Review Panel on Liquor and Advertising, which was released today.

Bruce Wallace, the Council's executive director, said that the 39-page report from the group led by Sir Michael Hardie Boys, was "an exercise in balance and good sense."

He applauded the Group's rejection of calls for a ban on liquor advertising as no research had been provided to show any direct link between advertising and liquor consumption levels.

Instead, the Group decided to introduce a more restrictive Advertising Code while also bringing forward by 30 minutes to 8.30 PM, the screening of liquor advertising on television. As a result, television stations would be able to screen liquor advertisements from the same time as programmes classified for adults only (AO). Wallace said that the Group recognised that this change would make little difference to the type of audience and was unlikely to lead to significantly more liquor advertising on television.

"It was a sensible, balanced approach to a long standing inconsistency between programming and advertising," said Wallace.

The NZTBC represents the non-competitive interests of the four companies operating national broadcast television channels. They are: CanWest New Zealand, Prime Television New Zealand, SKY Network Television and Television New Zealand.

A copy of the full report is available from the ASA website: www.asa.co.nz.

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