A voluntary agreement to keep liquor commercials off television fell apart in the mid-1990's.

No flood of liquor commercials has materialized, however, in part because the major broadcast networks have refused to accept them.

Since then, no broadcast network has run a liquor commercial.

There are estimates that if all four national broadcasters accepted liquor commercials, they could become an advertising category with annual spending of $300 million.

Williams responded indifferently to criticism of his appearances in the liquor commercials.

Most broadcasters have long respected a policy of not accepting liquor commercials, although no legal bar exists to showing them.

The major networks have so far refused to carry the liquor commercials.

It is unclear how and when liquor commercials may appear on radio and television now that the ban has been lifted.

The decision was castigated by a leading foe of liquor commercials.

For years, a bill requiring advertisers to attach safety warnings to liquor commercials has collected more dust than votes.