ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 22, 1997 TAG: 9702240091
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
The major television networks recently turned down commercials for Cadillac and Pepsi because they featured actors who appear to be playing characters from shows that rivals broadcast.
CBS and NBC cited longstanding policies against promoting competing programs for refusing to run a Cadillac commercial featuring Dennis Franz, a star of ABC's ``NYPD Blue.'' ABC used the same argument to turn down a Pepsi ad with Robert Stack of NBC's ``Unsolved Mysteries.''
The Big Three networks declined to say how often they have invoked the policies to block ads, but industry sources say the networks appear to be more serious about enforcing them.
NBC, ABC and CBS are facing increased competition for viewers from Fox and other new broadcast networks as well as dozens of cable channels. At the same time, advertisers are increasingly turning to popular TV series for high-profile actors who will draw instant attention for their commercials.
But it may be hard for viewers to separate the actor from the latest role he is playing on television.
CBS and NBC said they refused to run a Cadillac Seville STS ad because Franz appears to be playing the same character in the commercial as he does on the ``NYPD Blue'' series on rival ABC.
In the Cadillac ad, Franz, who plays detective Andy Sipowicz in the series, tells a Mercedes driver that he is going to write him up for driving a luxury car without enough horsepower.
``You some kind of cop?'' the driver asks. ``Something like that,'' Franz answers.
CBS spokesman Mike Silver said the ad was rejected because ``it's promotional of a competitive network program.'' Spokeswoman Lela Cocoros at NBC said the rejection of the ad ``is not a common occurrence.''
Tom Wilkinson, a spokesman for General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac division, said he didn't want to debate whether Franz was playing the Sipowicz character in the ad. But he noted Franz is also known for his earlier role playing a policeman on the NBC series ``Hill Street Blues.''
Nonetheless, he said the decision by CBS and NBC ``did not come as a complete surprise'' and that Cadillac found alternate outlets for it, including ABC, ESPN and CNN and local stations. ``In the modern world, there are so many ways to reach consumers,'' he said.
None of the networks has objected to running other Seville ads featuring Christine Baranski of the CBS series ``Cybill'' or Damon Wayans of ``In Living Color'' on the Fox network, Wilkinson said.
The Pepsi ad featuring Stack in a humorous demonstration of a ``Pepsi Club'' that protects cans of the soft drink against theft has been rejected by the ABC network.
``The character he plays in the Pepsi ad is reflective of his `Unsolved Mysteries' persona,'' said ABC spokeswoman Anne Riccitelli. ``He's associated with the crime-solving idea.''
Pepsi spokesman Brad Shaw said while the company ``prefers to have our spots on all the networks, we do have lots of options and ways to reach our target audience.''
Sometimes it may be unclear whether an ad violates policies against running ads with actors who play characters from rival network shows.
Sprint has run into no problems getting clearance for its commercials with Candice Bergen, the title star of the long-running CBS series ``Murphy Brown,'' according to the phone company's spokesman Mark Bonavia.
That includes a Sprint ad in which Bergen surprises the other three top characters from the ``Murphy Brown'' show sharing a restaurant table.
NBC decided to run it anyway. ``It was a close call but it is a very subjective thing,'' said Cocoros.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB