CBS, NBC to Let Condom Ads Run on Their Stations

CBS and NBC reversed tracks today and told television stations owned and operated by the networks they can decide for themselves whether to broadcast condom commercials.

Meanwhile, ABC became the first commercial television network to agree to air public service announcements saying condoms provide protection against AIDS.

CBS’ owned-and-operated television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia had been following network policy not to accept condom advertising.

CBS will continue that policy on the network on the ground that condom ads would be inappropriate for a mass audience, a spokesman said.

Immediately after the CBS and NBC announcements, the two network-owned stations in New York--WCBS and WNBC--announced they would run the ads under strict guidelines and only after 11 p.m.

KCBS to Run Ads Late

KCBS in Los Angeles followed suit, saying it will accept the ads for broadcast initially in the late-night time period. KNBC said it was considering what action to take.

Tom Van Amburg, KCBS vice president and general manager, said, “In evaluating the issue and our viewers’ strong feelings both for and against it, the bottom line always returned to the urgent need to help save lives in our community.”

The station further said it would evaluate all commercials for “content and taste, according to CBS advertising standards.” The commercials will be geared toward the adult viewer, the station added.

The announcement by ABC and the action by the owned-and-operated affiliates means all three networks have relaxed their policies on the AIDS-condom issue.

Not on Network Shows

“We are allowing our CBS owned-and-operated stations to make their own decisions,” CBS spokesman George Schweitzer said. “The network continues not to accept condom commercials.”

ABC’s 30-second public service spot will run in all time periods beginning Monday. The clip features Surgeon General C. Everett Coop advising that the best protection against AIDS, barring abstinence, is the use of a condom.

In New York, WCBS and WNBC said they will accept condom commercials immediately.

‘5,000 New Yorkers Have Died’

“Five thousand New Yorkers already have died of AIDS and 30,000 are likely to die of the disease by 1991,” said Roger Colloff, vice president and general manager of WCBS.