(a) Notwithstanding Sections 25500 and 25503, a beer manufacturer, winegrower, rectifier, distilled spirits manufacturer, craft distiller, or a distilled spirits manufacturer’s agent may purchase advertising space and time in connection with an on-sale retail licensed premises, if all the following conditions are met:
(1) The on-sale retail licensed premises is operated as an integral part of an opera house that was constructed in 1880, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is located in the City of Napa.
(2) The administrator of the opera house is a nonprofit charitable corporation or association that is exempt from the payment of income taxes under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 23701) of Part 11 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(3) The advertising space and time is purchased only in connection with specific events that are conducted by and for the benefit of the nonprofit charitable corporation or association that administers the opera house and that are open to the public.
(4) All payments for the purchase of advertising space and time shall be made to the nonprofit charitable corporation or association that administers the opera house. Payments shall not be made, directly or indirectly, to the on-sale retail licensee.
(5) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), purchased advertising space and time shall not promote or be for the benefit of the on-sale retail licensee.
(B) Purchased advertising space and time may identify the on-sale retail licensed premises for purposes of identifying the venue at which the event is being held. This identification shall be relatively inconspicuous in connection with the advertisement as a whole.
(6) An agreement to purchase advertising space and time shall not require, directly or indirectly, the purchase or sale of the advertiser’s products by the on-sale retail licensee. The on-sale retail licensee shall offer for sale, in a bona fide manner, alcoholic beverages manufactured, produced, or distributed by competing licensed beer manufacturers, winegrowers, rectifiers, distilled spirits manufacturers, craft distillers, or distilled spirits manufacturer’s agents.
(b) Advertising space and time purchased pursuant to this section may be included in printed programs for the specific event and in announcements made during the event, as well as any internet, social media, or other media promotion of the event. The advertising may also be placed on or in the on-sale retail licensed premises, or on or in unlicensed areas within the opera house operated by the on-sale retail licensee, only during the time the specific event is taking place.
(c) The Legislature finds that it is necessary and proper to require a separation between manufacturing interests, wholesale interests, and retail interests in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in order to prevent suppliers from dominating local markets through vertical integration and to prevent excessive sales of alcoholic beverages produced by overly aggressive marketing techniques. The Legislature further finds that the exceptions established by this section to the general prohibition against tied interests must be limited to their express terms so as not to undermine the general prohibition, and intends that this section be construed accordingly.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 18. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)