Jump to content

The fight against billboards: A cautionary tale


editor

Recommended Posts

There's been a lot of talk on HAIF about billboards and other visual pollution in Houston. Some politicians in Houston have even promised to go after the billboard companies. That's why when I ran across this video today I knew people in Houston would be interested in it. It's put together by KCET, the PBS television station in Los Angeles. It's about that city's fight against billboards. Essentially here's how the billboard companies operate there:

  1. Put up lots of illegal billboards
  2. Fight in court for years, costing the city money
  3. Donate money or billboard space to every city council member and the city attorney
  4. Get all the formerly illegal billboards declared legal, in exchange for dropping the lawsuits
  5. Go to step 1

The video is 9:14, but goes pretty quickly. It's worth watching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just spotted a digital billboard tonight while driving SB on the SW Fwy near Fountainview. It's one of the few that I've seen in town so far. Hopefully, it'll stay that way.

I've seen some. I think they're OK during the day, but at night they're simply too bright. They shouldn't be brighter than the streetlights. I find them very distracting when I drive by, especially the ones that play video.

I wonder if the old mechanical flippy billboards will become historic items now that signs have gone digital.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

man i hate billboards with a passion!!!

You might want to be active in the Scenic Houston organization.

Billboards along the freeways are one thing, but digital boards playing video are another. Anyone else envision them becoming so distracting that wrecks happen more frequently in proximity to them. A few accidents and lawsuits later I believe this will be re-thought very quickly.

But don't expect the campaign against billboards to be easy. Someone is making money off these things, and they wont allow their wallets to get lighter without a fight. They will take on anyone who wants to get these things removed.

At the very least they can get rid of billboards that are not along highways... especially the ones near me that we've wanted gone for nearly 20 years and more.... check Buffalo Speedway, between West Alabama and Westheimer, across from the Lamar Tower Condominiums. It's, for the most part, a residential area, leading right into River Oaks... complete with advertising eyesores.

These are the types of billboards that Clear Channel Outdoor has agreed to remove (831 of them at least). They are supposed to be gone by February 1, 2009. Scenic Houston is monitoring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

What's with those upside-down "Durrett" billboards on the Gulf Freeway?

I dunno though, I do a pretty good job of blocking out visual clutter. It's better that people actually focus on the road and not what's hanging 50 feet in the air off to the side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Meaning that people shouldn't care about anything less than the biggest aesthetic issues?

Meaning they should channel their energy elsewhere. Its like getting on someone to mow their yard when the whole house is an eyesore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...