Digital Billboards
Billboarders Request Permission to Add 20 Distracting Changeable Digital Billboards to Pinellas Roads
A representative of billboard Company Clear Channel, appeared at the July 7, 2009 meeting of the Pinellas County Commission. Their request was for a change to the County Sign Code to allow up to 20 Digital Billboards. These are the 'stadium' signs that are like a huge LCD TV with sizes up to 672 square feet. At the meeting the County Attorney responded that after discussions a year ago, the Board decided to wait until a study of the safety of these signs was completed by the Federal Highway Administration.
The billboard representative responded that this wait was unfair and that he had industry sponsored studies saying that such signs were not a safety distraction. Two of the Commissioners seemed to agree and asked for a workshop to grant the change requested. Transcript of this meeting is here.
Shortly after the July 7 meeting, the County Attorney’s Office wrote to Clear Channel's representative, Todd Mr. Pressman, reporting that the County Commission stated its intention to await a study by the Federal Highway Administration on the safety aspects of digital billboards. The County Attorney also provided Mr. Pressman with the April 2009 digital billboard safety report by the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). He asked Mr. Pressman to address the eleven recommendations in the report.
Safety is the Key
Todd Pressman's Reply declined to respond to that request. Instead he provided “one very good study” and several other documents. The study he provided is the study sponsored by the Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Research and Education, which a NY Federal District Judge called “so infected by industry bias as to lack credibility and reliability”. Additionally a Maryland Department of Transportation report called this study intentionally misleading and unsupported by scientific data.
Media Coverage
St. Petersburg Times coverage of this issue.
Additional Resources
More information about digital billboards is available on the Scenic America web site.
Page last updated 2009-10-14
Scenic Pinellas is a coalition of residents concerned for the quality of life in Florida's cities and counties. Our constituents include homeowners and businesses who are concerned about our state's deteriorating scenic beauty.