For those of you who say this will not or could not happen here in "River City". Here is an article showing the capability of present digitals. We've seen the Engineering Drawings provided by the Plannng and Development Services Department, and the ones here in San Antonio have the capability for cameras and other devices.
Smart Signs ‘Listen’ to Radio Stations of Cars, Target Ads
Advertisers now have the opportunity to gather demographic information about passengers in cars as they drive by digital billboards, allowing the advertiser to target ad copy specifically to the preferences of the passenger.
SmartSign Media, headquartered in Sacramento, displays ads on interactive electronic billboards on highways adjacent to shopping malls, writes Media Life. Interactive technology allows advertisers to gather information from the car’s passengers based on what station they are listening to, and the ad message can be changed instantly depending upon the demographic profile of the person who is driving by the sign. The profiles are created using surveys that link radio listeners’ station choices to their income and shopping habits, according to the article.
Signs can offer coupons or other special offers to shoppers as they approach the stores. They can pull pages off the internet and display them on the sign, which provides up-to-the-minute content, and they can ask consumers to respond via text messaging to a question posed on the billboard. Ads are placed on pylons, and are considered digital signage centers, allowing them to be placed in areas where there may be restrictions on billboards. Eight advertisers can be displayed, in rotation, on a single sign, and advertisers can cherry pick locations or buy the network. SmartSigns are available in Atlanta, Las Vegas, New York City, and 15 California markets.(Click here if you want to go to the actual website of MediaBuyerPlan where below article came from.)
This slide presentation shows where one tree IN SAN ANTONIO blocked our view of a new digital billboard along the highway and was massively pruned down so you could not be denied the view of the digital. We wonder who would find a tree less visually pleasing than a digital billboard? We wonder who would order or allow a tree to be so defaced? We guess even Mother Nature can't be in the way even if it is a tree or an endangered species to your right to view those scenic billboards.
The below story is from National Public Radio (NPR). It relates to what is happening around the country, just like the above story, where billboard companies are cutting or forcing local governments to cut trees down so you can clearly see their billboards. In the "More News Stories" we will be posting more stories we have found where trees have lost to your rights to be able to view billboards even if they are on public property just like the story below.
Here are MAYBE some of the reasons for the rush by our City Council to ram through the Digital Pilot Program. These were just some of the line items taken from the TXDOT regulations concerning billboards....
On December 6, 2007, San Antonio City Council passed a Digital Billboard ordinance, which allows 15 large, digital, off-premise signs ("digital billboards") to be placed in the city during a one year pilot program. At the end of one year, all pilot billboards remain but any more must be approved as another increment by another vote. City Council was almost unanimous in passing the pilot ordinance, despite solid opposition by citizens and civic groups, at least those who were not aligned with the billboard industry and particularly Clear Channel. (The sole holdout voting against the ordinance was District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez.)
The following is my personal analysis of the relevant factors for why Clear Channel...
