Local Campaigns|
Dover, DE—By overwhelming majorities, lawmakers in Delaware approved legislation to allow digital billboards. Final legislative action occurred on July 1 in the state Senate, which voted 19-2 (absent) in favor of the measure. Now the bill goes to the governor. Most states allow changeable message technologies. This year, Arkansas, Indiana, and Tennessee have approved new laws or regulations to allow digital billboards. In Delaware, the legislation provides for a static display time of 10 seconds. Nashville, TN—The outdoor advertising industry in Tennessee achieved another legislative victory. On June 13, Governor Phil Bredesen (D) signed legislation that allows repair and maintenance of nonconforming billboards. Longstanding state criteria on nonconforming maintenance had been rescinded under pressure from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Lawmakers acted quickly to replace the old regulations with a new statute. In addition, permit fees were increased for the first time since 1983. Trenton, NJ—The gross receipts tax on billboard advertising in New Jersey is gone. The hastily passed 6% tax took effect July 1, 2003, as the state battled a budget shortfall. A task force appointed by then-Governor James McGreevey (D) recommended that the billboard tax should be permanent. However, lawmakers decided to phase out the tax in three years. Therefore, the tax “sunsetted” in the end of June, 2007 (the end of the state’s fiscal year). “In the end, reason prevailed,” said Don Avjean of CBS Outdoor. A united outdoor industry fought the gross receipts tax. Coeur d’Alene, ID—On June 27, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) welcomed digital billboards in Idaho to the AMBER Alert network in that state. Leaders of the outdoor industry attended a press conference with the governor and state safety officials to celebrate the addition of digital billboards to the network. Digital billboards are part of the AMBER Alert network throughout the country, to help locate abducted children. “The governor recognizes that the merger of billboards with modern technology has tremendous potential to serve the public good,” said Scott Butterfield, regional manager for Lamar Advertising Company-Boise. Milwaukee, WI—Police are using billboards throughout the country to help find fugitives. A recent success occurred in Milwaukee, where a suspect featured on a “wanted” billboard was apprehended. “We’re refitting the sign right now with a new photo so we can catch another one,” said Kurt Weis, general manager of Lamar Advertising Company-Milwaukee on June 25. The Milwaukee Police Department said: “We did receive tips which helped in the apprehension. We appreciate the extra pressure on the bad guys when they know their photo is up there big as life.”
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Digital Billboards Activated Minutes After Bridge Collapse
Minneapolis, MN--On August 1, a bridge on a major freeway to downtown Minneapolis collapsed at 6:19 PM.
"We have dedicated our digital network to Minnesota Department of Transportation to communicate traffic and safety information. We were live with an emergency message within 15 minutes of the bridge collapse," said Lee Ann Muller of Clear Channel Outdoor-Minneapolis.
The image shown here was the initial alert posted on digital billboards.
Delaware Valley communication agencies have joined together to help raise awareness of various issues facing today's youth. Billboards went up in ten locations, doanted by Steen Outdoor. For more information visit www.advocatesforawareness.com
The top federal law enforcement officer in Kansas City bestowed his annual crime-fighting award to Lamar Advertising for its efforts to catch criminals.
Seven suspected killers have been apprehended after “wanted” information was posted on public service billboards in the Kansas City area over a two-year period.
On April 12, US Attorney Todd Graves presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award to Lamar-Kansas City. Bob Fessler (GM) and Brian Henry (creative director) accepted on behalf of the company.
The memorial award is named after two young murder victims. The local billboard “wanted” campaign began in early 2003, after the murder of Ali Kemp when she was 19.
”Billboards proved instrumental for detectives who made an arrest on November 8, 2004,” in the Ali Kemp case, said the US Attorney. “Billboards showing pictures or drawings of crime suspects have been credited with leading to the arrests of several persons wanted in local murder cases.”
Ali Kemp’s father, Roger Kemp, participated in the award ceremony, which attracted state, local, and federal officials. Last week was Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
A billboard in Kansas City featuring a suspected killer on the loose brought in a tip that led to the suspect's arrest in Minnesota at the end of March.
The billboard is part of a program to catch violent fugitives by the Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, the Kansas City Police Department, the community group Move Up, and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.
The program was started when the father of a murder victim approached Lamar about buying a billboard with the face of the suspect and a reward for tips. Lamar decided to donate four boards in total, which are still up in the Kansas City metro area. The Kansas City Police Department and local organization Move-up decided to use the same approach in other unsolved cases in the area.
The first suspect featured had been charged with second-degree murder. Someone who saw the billboard called the Tips Hotline with general information on the suspect’s whereabouts in Minneapolis, MN. Minneapolis authorities arrested the suspect that same week, said Mike West, assistant coordinator of the Tips Hotline.
He said the case showed how effective billboards can be in fighting crime. “The guy wasn't even in town and we were still able to make an arrest.”
West said his group plans to update the billboard to reflect the arrest. He said program sponsors will then decide which fugitive to feature next.
Years after a catchy rhyme — "Cross at the green, not in between" — helped pedestrian safety efforts in the nation's most-walked city, municipal officials are hoping another couplet will assist in reducing the toll accidents take.
"Cars hurt, stay alert" is the theme of a public service campaign from the New York City Department of Transportation, which got under way this month with posters appearing on bus-stop shelters. The goal is to remind New Yorkers of the perils of crossing the street, in the middle of the block or elsewhere, as well as the dangers of thoroughfares like Queens Boulevard, where accidents involving pedestrians have generated front-page headlines.
"This has been cooking for a few years," says David Woloch, a transportation department deputy commissioner, since Iris Weinshall became commissioner of the department in 2000 and determined the issue of pedestrian safety needs "to be thought about more broadly."
"New York is a walking city and we want the pedestrian to be king," Mr. Woloch says. "But people are in a hurry, with places to go and things to do, and they need to be keeping their eyes open."
The posters all have the same setting, a stretch of sidewalk leading into the street on which a pedestrian's shoes, feet or legs are visible. For verisimilitude, the streets have manhole covers, cracks, bumps, dried clumps of gum and other touches that practically shout "NYC."
Provocative statements and questions are stenciled on each sidewalk: "Pedestrians don't have bumpers," "Cars are made of steel. You're not," "Your best safety feature: a brain" and "Do you come with an airbag?" In the lower right corner of each poster is the "Cars hurt, stay alert" theme, designed to appear as if it is emblazoned on a walk-don't walk sign.
The posters are useful, Mr. Harrington says, because "they get it into people's heads it's a bad decision to make at the point where they're making the bad decision." The hope is later this year to supplement the posters with signs on the sides of buses and on taxicab tops.
From Stuart Elliott’s In Advertising, New York Times, May 25, 2004.
Residents of Franklin County in Columbus, OH, have begun to see billboards
asking for tips in the serial shootings that have plagued the area since
November 2003. The three billboards were donated by Lamar Advertising
Company, and were suggested to the serial shooting task force by Lamar’s
Michael Smith.“We want to help anyway we can,” Smith stated as he pledged that the billboards
will remain up until the shooter is caught
Sally Tracey Adams of Clear Channel Outdoor sums up the industry’s involvement in a successful anti-crime campaign: “Outdoor helps the community again.”
Albuquerque is a model for the “Safe Neighborhood” campaign that warns offenders that gun crimes result in prison terms. A big fan of this public service effort is US Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM), along with the local US Attorney and law enforcement community.
On December 9, former US Senator Paul Simon – the bowtie-wearing missionary’s son – died after heart surgery. He was 75.
“Outdoor operators are proud to display memorial posters throughout the state”, said Bob Lord of Adams Outdoor Advertising, president of the state association.
“Paul Simon was a dear friend,” recalled Nancy Fletcher, OAAA president and CEO.
Elected to the Senate in 1984, Simon served two six-year terms. In 1991, he voted to reject anti-billboard legislation, which was defeated by a bipartisan majority of 60-39.