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Digital Billboard Battles

More gnashing of teeth and waving of arms is taking place surrounding the issue of digital billboards, this time in Texas. A meeting yesterday at the Texas Trasnporation Commission in Austin saw outdoor advertisers pitted against scenery defenders.

The issue at hand is whether electronic billboards should be allowed on highways, writes the Houston Chronicle. If the proposal is passed, cities would have the ability to approve or disapprove of each billboard, and the boards would be allowed only within municipalities or their surrounding areas.

A representative of Clear Channel Outdoor said the new billboards give businesses a fresh way to sell themselves, while the president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas said that the signs stimulate the local economy, “and that’s good for Texas overall.”

Opponents say the signs are visual blight and could create a dangerous distraction to drivers, and that they shouldn’t be allowed at all. One compared the signs to giant green gorillas that are perched atop car dealerships in the city.
Similar battles between outdoor media companies and cities/municipalities are being fought across the country.