Under fire, NBC says to halt liquor ads

(UPDATE: Recasts lead, adds details, background)

By Adam Pasick

Wednesday March 20, 7:56 pm Eastern Time

NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Three months after NBC broke a decades-old ban on televised liquor advertisements, the network reversed course on Wednesday, stung by a storm of criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups.

NBC said it was asked by leaders of both parties in Congress to reconsider its decision to broadcast the first liquor ads since 1948, when the networks began their self-imposed ban.

"We have agreed to do that. We've said from the beginning that we want to be responsible on this issue,'' NBC said in a statement. "We are, therefore, ending the first phase of branded social responsibility advertising on our network and will not proceed into the next phase of carrying product advertising for distilled spirits.''

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