Philip Morris Inc. agreed today to remove cigarette ads that the Justice Department contended had been placed in baseball, basketball, football and hockey stadiums and arenas to circumvent the 24-year-old ban on televised cigarette advertising.
The government said in court papers that Philip Morris's cigarette signs had appeared in televised sports coverage in 14 football stadiums, 14 baseball parks and five basketball arenas because they were placed next to the playing field or in locations likely to appear on television during game broadcasts.A civil complaint against the company and an agreement to settle the complaint were filed simultaneously in U.S. District Court here.
Assistant Attorney General Frank W. Hunger, head of the department's civil division, said the government insisted on a decree prohibiting such advertising in all the major professional sports stadiums.
"The department believed there were obvious violations of the advertising ban, some of them flagrant," Hunger said, citing a Marlboro cigarette sign at the scorers' table at Madison Square Garden in New York. Philip Morris and the Garden removed that sign earlier this year during settlement discussions.
Since 1971, tobacco ads have been barred from television by the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act in an effort to reduce the recruitment of new smokers.
Philip Morris spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
The Justice Department said Philip Morris was informed by Madison Square Garden that Marlboro displays would be "clearly visible" next to the scorers' table and elsewhere in the arena for three to four minutes during telecasts of New York Knicks basketball games and sports news programs.
The agreement bars cigarette ads next to the playing fields at any televised baseball, basketball, football and hockey games or in locations likely to appear on television during game broadcasts.
The settlement agreement must be approved by the U.S. District Court.