The current billboard legislation referenced last week in Billboard Insider was drafted to address one of the most common inequities found in municipal sign codes across the country, the way in which digital (electronic) on-premise signs are regulated versus their off-premise digital counterparts.

Many communities have adopted local sign ordinances that allow various types of electronic advertising for on-premise use but prohibit the same for off-premise advertising. One only has to drive our interstate system to see the thousands of examples of freeway oriented electronic signs advertising shopping centers, retail outlets, automobile dealerships and sports venues. They are effective and powerful advertising tools for these businesses, intent on generating commerce and tax revenues for the communities they reside in.

These types of displays are generally subject to zoning restrictions and or conditional use permits in the same way an outdoor adverting permit might be obtained for an off-premise sign. Obviously, we support the continued use of digital technology in creating attractive, effective, signs in all municipalities. Signs are simply an essential advertising tool for businesses and key component in our free market economy. The question is why is this new technology being limited to single class of advertising?

SB 61 simply says if you allow electronic signs for on-premise uses, you should allow the same technology to be used on signs that are doing off-premise advertising, provided it meets the same zoning requirements.

The YESCO companies support SB 61.

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