Fortune  interviewed  Outfront Media’s CEO Jeremy Male.  Here are some of Male’s comments together with Insider’s reactions.

“We are taking a look at acquisitions.  In fact we just completed one in the last few weeks, a company called Reynolds down in Dallas.”  Reynolds outdoor has 500 faces in Dallas and Houston, including kiosks, walls and digital displays.  Here’s the Reynolds acquisition press release.

“I think everything will be digital in that 20 year time frame you laid out.”  Insider’s not so sure.  Digital is great for high traffic, congested, high-demand billboards but what about the rural freeway board that people pass at 80 miles an hour?  7 of the 8 digital flips will be wasted.  What about a rural wood board in a market where rates are $500/month?  The cost of digital will have to drop dramatically and Insider is hearing from manufacturers that the cost curve is flattening.  Digital also needs to overcome advertiser resistance.  See next quote.

“…there are a number of companies, like Apple, who is one of our biggest clients, who don’t do any digital.  They don’t want to share space with anyone else.”  This is a delicious irony.  Apple, the high-tech maker of digital products opts for vinyl over digital billboards.

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