Change of Season

It was 7:15 on a balmy evening in the California town of San Jose, and families sat together watching TV. A lot of them were tuned in to local station KNTV, an ABC affiliate, to watch an old Peter Sellers movie, The Bobo, and many simply thought the flick was continuing when a light baritone voice intoned: "To everything there is a season ..." Then the camera panned over a young man and woman running along a beach sporting conspicuous wedding rings. "The makers of Trojans condoms believe there is a time for children ... the right time... when they are wanted."

Condoms? Befuddled brains adjusted to the first-ever condom commercial on U.S. television. Viewers grabbed their phones. The KNTV switchboard was jammed all night. Unlike the vast majority of stations around the country, KNTV does not adhere to the National Association of Broadcasters' stuffy code of ethics, which bans over-the-counter contraceptive commercials. But it had aired the Trojans ad only after testing it on the station's own employees, including a Jew, a Catholic and a Baptist, all of whom found it inoffensive. After the viewer protests, however, KNTV General Sales Manager Jack Yearwood pulled the spot off the air.

Mixed Feelings. Not for long. The next day, area newspapers picked up the condom contretemps, and the issue gained the gloss of a civil liberties controversy. KNTV even found itself reporting the fuss, and aired the beach spot during its news broadcast. It then asked for viewers' opinions. The change of heart was instant: 8 to 1 in the commercial's favor. Some viewers were eager to complain about the ads they thought more offensive, like bad-breath treatments and sinus aids.

That is just how Youngs Drug Products Corp., the makers of Trojans, feel, so they were delighted last week to see KNTV reinstate their spots. For them, KNTV is a beacon of sorts. They hope local stations' acceptance will soften up the networks. Now it seems, resistance has begun to crack. This week station KJAN-TV in Canton, Ohio, will start running the ads. As for KNTV, it views its pioneering role with mixed feelings. Says Yearwood: "It's a hell of a claim to fame accepting the first rubber commercial."

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