European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine condom ads on to the pitch is Public health United press International ear of aids has finally outweighed fear of offending viewers pushing an increasing number of amen can television stations to abandon moral squeamishness and air condom commercials. Low key condom ads Are appearing amid the usual hard Sel Blitz o breakfast cereals toothpaste and status jeans on stations from san Francisco with its Large homosexual population to conservative West Texas. The Pilch is Public health the use of condoms to guard against ads the ads do not emphasize birth control nor Are they sexy one even takes a humorous approach. Condoms Are advertised during what Are considered adult viewing hours. Those opposed to broadcasting condom ads say they will offend the Mora july and religious beliefs of some viewers those in favor say the life and death nature of the aids epidemic overshadows the morality debate. An to does not currently show Public service announcements pass on condom use to prevent the spread of aids. Tom Baxter chief of television operations for armed farces network he Europe said an has had no requests do to so. Pass Are usually broadcast at the request of Public affairs offices or major commands he said stations in san Francisco Indianapolis Boston West Texas and Minneapolis is Paul plus eight affiliates of the Knight Didder Chain All began airing condom ads this year. The makers of one major Brand trojans said 24 stalk is were willing to accept its ads with at least 30 others reported favourably inclined the three Natwora lag behind some of their affiliates refusing to Cany condom commercials despite pleas from surgeon general c. Everett Koop and some lawmakers. Lbs and Abc also refuse to allow their owned and operated stations to Cany the ads. Turner broadcasting has been accepting condom ads Lor two years a spokesman said. The networks and Stalions with no condom policies Call morality the major Roadblock. Lbs will con Rue Al his Lime not to accept ads for contraceptives on the network because we continue to believe they would be intrusive to the moral and religious beliefs of Many of our  said George Schweitzer lbs vice pics Ideal communications. But Knight Lidder of Licals said Hio aids crisis overrides past taboos and on Jan. 27 became the firs to Chain to accept ads Lor condoms. We feel very strongly Aboul this aids thing and the proportions thai it has reached said Art Elliot manager of a Kiln in Nashville. Tenn. Kron to i san Francisco aired its first condom and immediately after president Reagan s slate of the Union address in january. According to station spokesman Javier Valencia 22 spots have already been sold. Kron has announced plans to donate $25,000 of the proceeds to the san Francisco aids foundation and $25,000 to the american federation for aids research. The to and depicts a pretty Young woman with curly Blond hair talking Slraight into the camera. This in part. Is her plea i never thought having an Ali male relationship would be a matter of life or death. Yet because of aids i m afraid. Aids in t just a Gay disease. It s everybody s disease. The condoms i buy Are called lifestyles i la do a Tot for love but i m not ready to die for  Early response to the Ada Valencia said has been overwhelmingly favourable bul there have been he usual complaints one viewer wrote please slay morally Neutral by not airing such  another wrote it s bad enough to see those lifestyles portrayed on the regular programming which is fiction but when they Are promoted in commercials which Are supposed to be truth we feel you will certainly Compromise your station s integrity As a broadcaster serving the  condoms and contraception Are no longer taboo subjects in entertain Mon programming Kato & Allie and canc is Lacey on lbs have in Caird Iho Subjoc of contraception and a feb. 8 episode of Csc s Valeric had Star Valerie Harper discovering condoms belonging to her teen age son. Aids was not involved a few affiliates either refused to show the program or showed it Al a later time than originally scheduled one of Iho reasons we Don l accept condom  is that we do not Foci a 30 second spot is Long enough to cover an Issue so Complex and so sensitive an Abc spokesperson said it is something Hal can be Iraa Lod More sensitively in the context of a longer program news or Public affairs  commercials popping up unannounced would be an unfair assault on those who find them morally objectionable the networks contend. Bob Regla Bulo general manager of a sep to. An Abc affiliate in Minneapolis St. Paul that is one of two area stations airing condom ads disagreed this is not an Issue of morality he said. We re talking about an Issue of life and  Lee Davis president of the Wisconsin broadcasters association said his group does not have a policy on condom advertising but Lias taken a position that broadcasters should have the right to advertise Legal products. The problem is apparently that condoms do play a significant part in the reduction of the spread of aids and it would seem to me to be foolish not to advertise them if it was handled in a sensitive  he said. Station manager Dawd Sanks of wisc to in Madison. Wig., said his station probably would air condom ads. In Indianapolis the state Board of health took a lighter approach in two recently unveiled ads hat have not yet aired. We wanted something that would really catch the Eye and not  said Deborah Taylor the Board s aids coordinator. Well use anything Hal will  one skit shows a Knight in Armor clanking Down a Castle Hall while a narrator says there Are belief ways to protect yourself against  the warning continues. These Aren t the dark  Indianapolis station whte has started airing condom ads but it Hal to announced it would not. Saying information and instruction Aslo the avoidance of the dreaded disease aids will be handled through our news information and Public affairs programs As the situation demands John Marquiss general manager of a tax to in Midland Texas said he would air the ads and donate revenues to aids research. If you can enlighten people who did l know that condoms were Protection against Iha disease and nol push birth control you Are serving your Public to a greater extent Marquiss said. Even ads Iha do not discuss birth control Are opposed by the roman Catholic Church James a. Hickey. Archbishop of the archdiocese of Washington said in a statement i share the anguish of All who currently lace the great tragedy of  but a added. Advertising condoms on television or distributing them is not a morally appropriate response. Advertising condoms trivializes sex and sexual  in new Orleans. Both the lbs Wal to and Abc Wasu to affiliates vetoed condom ads. We have a policy on the corporate level nol to accept them said Wasu station manager Anne Coleman. The station is owned by Cosmos broadcasting. Wavue to the new Orleans Abc affiliate differed we re against anything that promotes promiscuity marketing director Greg Buisson said but we also Are for promoting anything that will impede the spread of aids " in Boston. Lvi to Channel 56 has agreed to run 15 second spots for Trojan Brand condoms. A station spokesman raid the ads Are exp cled to Slart airing m 60 to 90 Days. Of the three Boson network affiliates two have decided not to run them and one. Lbs of finale Nev to Channel 7. Has nol announced a decision broadcasters in Washington d Chad a mixed Raa Clion the Abc affiliate Wila to was the first Slation in the Cidylo announce it will accept condom ads a lot of people Are concerned Aboul the moral and religious questions raised by television stations running ads for condoms said Jim a rifling Wila s vice president of broadcast operations. Bul our feeling is that the Public health question is the overriding  tuesday february 24, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 13