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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Newsstand Advertising -- Do LCD Screens Equal Blight?

To newsstand owners in the city, the ability to add a 24-inch flat panel LCD screen for advertising is a chance to make more money as newspaper and cigarette sales decline.

To SCRUB, an anti-blight group, legislation to allow the newsstand screens would open up the city to lawsuits from billboard companies "in their quest to colonize the public space."

Council's Committee on Streets and Services is now considering both sides of that argument.

John Rocco, president of the Newsstand Association of Philadelphia told the Committee that 20 percent of the city's 120 newsstands may be out of business in five years if the legislation does not pass. "Basically our sales are flat or down," he added.

Mary Tracy of SCRUB urged the committee to drop the legislation and scale back newsstand advertising already allowed by the city.

UPDATE, 12:07 pm -- Councilman Frank DiCicco just suggested holding the legislation, which he had introduced. The delay would give newsstand owners and the Center City District to address concerns about making newsstands uniform downtown and standards for cleaning up graffiti.

Councilman Bill Green suggested approving the legislation in committee and amending it later. DiCicco agreed.  The committee approved the bill, sending it to the full Council for a vote.
 
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 11:59 AM  Permalink | 2 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:18 PM, 03/24/2009
    SCRUB is becoming truly annoying. Go away.
    — anon
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:34 PM, 03/24/2009
    Good for SCRUB. We don't have to have advertising every place. What's wrong with advertising-free public spaces? Ads in newspapers and TV and the Web are different, those are mediums that we seek out with the full knowledge that there are ads in them. But walking through the city? Why should there be ads plastered everywhere? It's not as though it improves the quality of our lives. Just as we regulate zoning issues and historical designations, we should regulate advertising closely. I wouldn't mind seeing it all go away in public spaces.
    — Tatts


2 comments
About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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Catherine Lucey
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Chris Brennan
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