FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                          NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
December 20, 2001                            Susanna Zwerling at (202) 418-2000

 
             STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS
             ON THE BROADCAST OF LIQUOR ADVERTISING
                                
                                
A race to the bottom is never pretty to watch, whether it's a network saying that it has to
show liquor ads in prime time because they are running on cable, or whether it's a network pushing
the limits on indecency because it says it has to compete against prurient shows on another network. 
Apart from the question of whether these ads are or are not a matter for regulation, this is most
certainly an area where we could use some sense of social responsibility, some understanding of what
is being foisted on our children, and some vision to reach for the stars instead of plumbing the
depths.


                             - FCC -