NBC Lifts Ban On Liquor Advertising

NEW YORK — NBC is lifting its voluntary ban on liquor advertising today, becoming the first major broadcast network to do so.

The General Electric-owned network will run ads for distilled spirits during shows airing after 9:00 PM, an NBC representative said. The first advertiser inaugurating the change in policy is Diageo’s Guinness/UDV, which markets more than 200 spirits brands Johnnie Walker Red Label, Bailey’s, and Smirnoff Vodka, among others.

As part of its deal with NBC, Guinness has agreed to sponsor a four-month on-air social responsibility campaign on safe drinking, the NBC representative said.