Liquor Industry United States

You won't find Kapone savoring the taste or aroma of his beverage of choice. The young gang member from the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts offers a simple explanation for his loyalty to malt liquor, in particular Olde English 800: "It does the job the fastest." Kapone, a lanky 23-year-old who sells drugs for a living, started drinking when he was 10. To him, beer tastes like water. Even some malt liquors no longer give him a kick.

For parents otherwise eager to shovel their children out of the house and back into the classroom, here are some numbers worth a moment's pause: More than half of all 12th-graders report having used alcohol within the last month. More than one-third of 12th-graders have smoked cigarettes within the last month. For people 15 to 24, the second-leading cause of death (after accidents) is murder--fully 85% committed with a gun. Ever since the high school massacre in Littleton, Colo.

Bayhawk Ales Inc. is barely a bubble in the huge beer market, but more than 300 investors have wagered $1.2 million so far that the fledgling Irvine microbrewery will be a success. Operators of the pint-size brewery, which pours out about 1,500 gallons of ale a week in full view of patrons in an upscale bar and seafood restaurant, paint a romantic picture of providing investors entree into an industry that is going nowhere but up.

The government should review TV advertising of whiskey and other distilled liquors, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said on his first day on the job Monday. The previous commission deadlocked on the issue in July. Chairman William Kennard also said the agency should proceed with caution when it comes to the Internet. "I want to be very clear: I don't want to do anything that is going to squelch this new technology," he said in an interview.

Vandalism and battery are rarely headline-grabbing crimes, but Father Michael Pfleger hopes his trial on those charges next month will help ignite a national drive to rid minority neighborhoods of liquor and cigarette billboards. Pfleger, an outspoken Roman Catholic priest, has been accused of defacing outdoor signs and tossing paint on the owner of a billboard company who tried to stop him.

Guinness PLC said Thursday that it will buy most of Schenley Industries' wine and spirits business--including its prized U.S. distribution rights for Dewar's and Gordon's liquors--from the Riklis family for about $500 million. Schenley, the American distributor of several key Distillers Co. brands, was a bit player in the drama surrounding the Distillers takeover last year when it threw its support to Guinness in the merger battle, analysts said.

Talk about a brewhaha. That's what seems to be shaping up over "alcopops"--alcoholic fruit soda pops that have become a phenomenal success in Britain and Australia and may or may not be heading to a market near you. These lemonade-flavored cocktails contain about 4.5% alcohol, roughly the same punch as beer, but masked sweetly so they can be chugged like soda.

The nation's top broadcast regulator agreed Monday to delay until July a vote on whether the Federal Communications Commission should open an inquiry into liquor advertising on radio and television. FCC Chairman Reed Hundt said he removed the item from Thursday's agenda at the request of Commissioner Rachelle Chong. Chong and Commissioner James Quello have argued that the FCC does not have jurisdiction over liquor advertising.

Alcohol and tobacco advertisers are using graphics and music with strong kid appeal to tout their products on the Internet, an advocacy group asserted Thursday. The Center for Media Education said that government action is needed to protect children from tempting cyber pitches, some of which may be illegal. But representatives of alcohol and tobacco companies insisted that they are not using interactive pitches to target kids and teenagers.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt said he intends to begin a broad inquiry next year on TV liquor ads, including possible regulatory options to restrict them. Reed said the inquiry would be framed in a way "that's not slanted toward one particular outcome" but would offer a "forum where any reasonable question can be asked, including whether or not a rule would be constitutional or not."

Allie Kligman, a Rockville, Md., 13-year-old, got hooked on Absolut by her 16-year-old sister, Jillian. The teenagers aren't interested in what's inside the vodka bottle. Instead, they scour magazines for Absolut ads for the collection on their walls. "They're so creative," said Allie of the ads, which feature an Absolut bottle in various shapes and settings. One of the most popular carries the slogan "Absolut Hitchcock" on a bottle outline reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's profile.

The nation's top broadcast regulator agreed Monday to delay until July a vote on whether the Federal Communications Commission should open an inquiry into liquor advertising on radio and television. FCC Chairman Reed Hundt said he removed the item from Thursday's agenda at the request of Commissioner Rachelle Chong. Chong and Commissioner James Quello have argued that the FCC does not have jurisdiction over liquor advertising.

Talk about a brewhaha. That's what seems to be shaping up over "alcopops"--alcoholic fruit soda pops that have become a phenomenal success in Britain and Australia and may or may not be heading to a market near you. These lemonade-flavored cocktails contain about 4.5% alcohol, roughly the same punch as beer, but masked sweetly so they can be chugged like soda.

Alcohol and tobacco advertisers are using graphics and music with strong kid appeal to tout their products on the Internet, an advocacy group asserted Thursday. The Center for Media Education said that government action is needed to protect children from tempting cyber pitches, some of which may be illegal. But representatives of alcohol and tobacco companies insisted that they are not using interactive pitches to target kids and teenagers.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt said he intends to begin a broad inquiry next year on TV liquor ads, including possible regulatory options to restrict them. Reed said the inquiry would be framed in a way "that's not slanted toward one particular outcome" but would offer a "forum where any reasonable question can be asked, including whether or not a rule would be constitutional or not."

The nation's top communications regulator is asking local television and radio stations to follow the lead of the major networks and reject liquor advertising. "I would not like to see these ads on television," said Reed Hundt, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. What he plans to do about it remained murky, though. The trade group for the liquor industry has decided to abandon a voluntary pledge not to advertise on television and radio.

FCC Urges Advertisers to Protect Children From Liquor Ads: In a letter to the National Assn. of Advertisers, Federal Communications Commission Chariman Reed Hundt said that if it takes "proactive and responsible action" the FCC won't have to. At least three FCC commissioners have voiced concern about the appearance of Joseph E. Seagram & Sons liquor ads on a handful of small, local TV stations in spite of a 48-year-old voluntary ban.

FCC Urged to Probe Liquor Ads: Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) called on the Federal Communications Commission to investigate how children are affected by hard liquor ads, such as the spots being aired in a handful of markets by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons for its Crown Royal and Chivas Regal whiskey brands. In airing the spots, Seagram is defying a 48-year-old voluntary ban on spirits ads on TV.