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Adult Content on Radio and TV (from Seattle Board)
- Thread starter Cobra14
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Bringing us back to the original topic, Cox (grow up) Cable in Phoenix would run spots for local "adult boutiques"---the local stations wouldn't.
1976, KFRC in San Francisco. Big Tom Parker (RIP) in middays, plays that, and over the moans and groans at the end says:
"Waiter---more butter, please."
A local church took out an ad in 1978 in the Arkansas paper that employed me, calling on the cable company to remove HBO, or what it called in the ad "HPO -- Home Pornography Outlet," from its lineup. There were no adult boutiques in town, as you might suspect.
The Castle Boutique bought radio spots heavily in addition to the cable TV buys. They switched their approach from advertising Debbie Does Dallas and Deep Throat for $19.95 to having women talk about how normal people shop there and it's not creepy. Related: a buddy of mine who was a swimsuit distributor said that The Castle sold more product for him than any of the high end boutiques that he sold the same swimsuits to - and had the highest markup (100%).
But I'm surprised that a TV station would refuse The Castle yet sell TV spots to a head shop that sold bongs, lingerie, and vibrators ("Trails Department Store.") I saw those on KPHO, not sure about KTVK.
I had spots on the log at one radio station in Houston for the All American Girls Escort Service. It was as cheesy as you might expect, with our production director asking "Do you have any... blondes?" It ran for two weeks until either they ran out of money or the sales manager got a talking to, I'm not sure which.
No fear of a crackdown by the National Undergarment Control Board or the Federal Bureau of Masturbation?
KTVK said no.
And if I were GM of a radio or TV station, I'd say Hell no. These are broadcast facilities, not subscription cable or streaming. Advertising headwinds are difficult enough without risking a viewer or listener boycott because one is willing to take money from a largely socially unacceptable source. I'm no prude, but I'd sure not want to speak with viewers and listeners of kids who are upset because they were asking about sex toys they saw featured on local TV.
All that, and talk about selling out to the lowest common denominator.
7th Heaven (a head shop) and Priscilla’s/Cirilla’s (adult store) advertised on some of the rock stations here in KC around 20 years ago during the day, but I don’t know if they still do.
Head shops exist in states that haven't legalized recreational marijuana. There's one right across the river from me, in New Hampshire. It just sells papers, bongs, marijuana-growing books, and other pot-related materials, no weed, buds or edibles. I have heard ads for those on Vermont radio.
Missouri voters just legalized recreational marijuana up to 3 ounces but 7th Heaven doesn’t sell any, even though they’re in Missouri. I think it might cost a lot to be a licensed dispensary, but not sure.
It does. It costs nothing in additional fees and tax payments to sell Zig Zags.
One hitters probably sell better than all the stuff to roll your own
One hitters? I don't know THAT much about pot to understand what that is. You mean prerolls, I guess. Anyway, the papers have been in convenience stores for years and, IIRC, the fine print on the wrappers instructs users on the proper way to roll "tobacco" (nudge nudge, wink wink) in them.
One hitters are pipes, not that I’ve ever used one
"Asking for a friend"
"...or so I'm told."
I worked for two types of general managers: those who believed cash is king and those who didn't want to offend anyone.
For every station where I played a spot overnight advertising Debbie Does Dallas and Deep Throat for the low low price of $19.95, there was one where bar spots would be refused for advertising wet t-shirt contests and "sexy body contests" because the GM didn't want to offend his friends in bible study.
Hell, I played a spot for an escort service once and strip clubs numerous times in a top 10 market. Most of the time these businesses were restricted from airing before 10 PM, but some GMs would take the cash and others turn it down. All money spends the same, it's just a question of whether you want to take it or not. If you're a rock station in some markets you're leaving a lot of cash on the table if you turn down strip club money, and the megachurch down the street isn't going to buy you, so you might as well take the buy from Babe's Cabaret.
This jogs the memory that in 1973 and 1974, Los Angeles radio stations---including KHJ and including in morning drive---were running spots for "Deep Throat" at the Pussycat Theater. It's on the Charlie Van Dyke January 22, 1974 aircheck, and others.
EDIT: Turns out the CVD aircheck is online. I don't have time to scan and find the spot, but it's there:
KHJ Los Angeles - Charlie Van Dyke 01-22-1974
Listen to KHJ Los Angeles - Charlie Van Dyke 01-22-1974 by Retro Radio Joe
I want to say that Channel 45 in Phoenix, in its indie days before the UPN network, ran "976" sex-chat spots during late movies.
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You may laugh, but as with all things, there's a website and an organization for that. "Stop Masturbation Now".
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