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St. Paul Places Temporary Ban on Digital Billboards

Even before they reach the consciousness of the majority of citizens, digital billboards are feeling push-backs from different communities across the country.

The AP reports that the St. Paul City Council has temporarily banned new electronic billboards. The Clear Channel billboards recently installed “resemble color televisions” and change images every few seconds, according to the article, which makes them a distraction to drivers.

Driver safety experts, too, have claimed that digital billboards are hazardous. Currently, there are about 400 digital billboards in the U.S., but the Outdoor Advertising Association of America believes there will be nearly 4,000 within 10 years.

However, not all digital billboards change messages that often.

One of the benefits of the technology is not that they can change every few seconds, but that they can change more easily than a static billboard, allowing one advertiser to show their message during the morning commute, while another can showcase itself during mid-day and another after-hours.

This allows billboard companies to reap more income from a single billboard and advertisers to more correctly target their audience.

Another issue facing electronic billboards is the fact that some, like St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune, are calling them environmental concerns because of “overlighting.”

Clear Channel Outdoor installed eight of the billboards along Twin City highways last month. The hold on electronic billboards will remain in place until the City can complete a study of the impact of the new technology.

Earlier this month, the city of Eagen, also in Minnesota, placed a moratorium on billboards pending a study, as well.