NBC has come under sustained fire in the US from Congress and campaigning organisations to reverse its plans, announced in December, to run spirits ads on US television, where beer advertisers are some of the nation's biggest ad spenders.
NBC had already begun running what it termed social responsibility advertising on its network. This began in December with ads for Diageo's Smirnoff vodka. These were to have been followed up by product ads for various brands including Smirnoff and Bailey's.
In a statement, the TV network said: "Recently, the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate Commerce Committee asked NBC to reconsider our policy on distilled spirits advertising and to continue discussions with various public health and interest groups. We have agreed to do that."
It added: "We've said from the beginning that we want to be responsible on this issue. 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."
The NBC announcement came ahead of a press conference to be held in Washington by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which was to urge broadcasters to adopt stricter policies for alcohol advertising.
It was reported earlier this year that the complaints against NBC could have led to Congressional hearings aimed at producing a bill banning broadcast of commercials for spirit drinks such as whisky and vodka.
In January, rival network CBS said it has no plans to follow NBC into accepting ads for hard liquor, which have not run on the major networks for more than 50 years.
NBC announced that it would begin running spirits advertising in December. It said the ads would air after 9pm and that it had lined up Guinness UDV, owned by Diageo and home of brands such as Smirnoff and Bailey's, as its first advertiser.
The network had drawn up strict guidelines to accompany its change in policy. These included stipulations that actors appearing in the ads must be at least 30 years old and the ads can only be broadcast in programmes where more than 85% of the audience is over 21 years of age.
In response to the move by NBC, Diageo said: "Diageo's marketing and advertising sets the highest standards of social responsibility in the industry. The ads we are running on NBC show our commitment to those standards. We are very proud of our advertising and the support it has received.''
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