CBS Outdoor removes alcohol ads
after San Francisco audit

By Brent Begin, Bay City News Service

January 17, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - The media company responsible for advertising in San Francisco's bus shelters began to aggressively move alcohol ads away from schools today after a media watchdog group and city leaders threatened action.

CBS Outdoor had been displaying advertisements for Yellow Tail Chardonnay, Glenfiddich scotch, Miller beer and Bailey's Irish cream within 500 feet of nine schools, according to Bruce Livingston, the executive director of the Marin Institute, an alcohol watchdog group that audited the ads in three of the city's districts.

The placement of alcohol ads in those locations was in violation of the company's contract with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

Nathaniel Ford, the agency's executive director, announced today that he would be seeking proposals from other advertising companies for a new contract in December and that the agency is considering banning alcohol ads throughout the entire city.

The ads caught the attention of the MTA, as well as San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, after the Marin Institute conducted its survey and found 15 advertisements in violation of the contract.

Livingston said that before the institute could even submit its findings to CBS Outdoor this morning, the company had already started moving the ads.

"It's a shame that they had to have a watchdog group tell them their ads were in obvious violation,'' Livingston said. "It's obvious that they don't have a mechanism in place to monitor where they're placing their alcohol ads.

"They're either incapable or indifferent when it comes to monitoring their own actions,'' he added.

The Marin Institute discussed the impact of alcohol ads in a report published following the San Francisco audit.

"The ads endanger children and youth through exposure to harmful alcohol messages,'' the report read. "Kids exposed to alcohol ads are more likely to drink, and drink to excess.''

MTA workers, in an effort to enforce Ford's executive order to remove the 3-foot by 5-foot ads, are searching for additional advertisements that may be in violation.

"We are committed to enforcing our contract and keeping alcohol ads away from schools,'' said Ford. "I thank the Marin Institute for bringing this important matter to our attention.''

Stephen Shinn, a vice president with CBS Outdoor, said today the company is doing its best to correct the mistake. "We are indeed surveying the city to make sure there are no alcohol ads on bus shelters near schools,'' Shinn said. "If we discover that there were ads within 500 feet of schools, they have been removed or will be removed. Everything should be removed by tomorrow.''

Copyright © 2007 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

####