WHere is the gold?

Land, rooftops, walls and building "value" and prices vary greatly , from state to state in the US and globally, from country to country, for the use and occupancy of outdoor -billboard-advertisign devices and signs.


Again "limited supply, or inventory, coupled with high population density, and high traffic count tends to increase property values whereas the opposite is true.



The proliferation of billboards anywhere, because of limited, or no land-use controls, rules and regulations simply drive "values" downhill.

For many reasons certain states in the US have a total ban on billboards mainly because of the Highway Beautification Federal Law promoted by Lady Bird Johnson, wife of US President of Johnson.


On the other hand, for example, a US center of outdoor advertising, Times Square. in New York has a specific zoning by law which mandates that any new high rise building, in the Times Sq area, must devote a certain amount of facade space for the use and occupany of Outdoor-Billboard-Advertsing.



New York City is one for the few communites that knows the true economic developemental power of "bight lights," and not just fromBroadway!

Bill McInerney

National & Global Billboard-Outdoor advertsing news

No longer is the Billboard-Outdoor Advertising business a small time "wild-cat" mom-and-pop operation. Gone are the days with sign painters took over billboards because of lack of payment for their services.

The industry has grown in the past 40 years ever since the US banned Big Tobacco from advertising on TV money that business to Outdoor. Now that Big Tobacco is long gone

the industry thrives while magazines and newspaper advertising sinks lower and lower.

(Left: A Paris Billboard)

Today the business is national and global. As an added feature of this blog I'm adding, from time to time, news from across the nation and world.

Dublin Ireland 8-17-09 Reported by Sunday Times Tribune: The French Outdoor firm JC Decaux, the largest in the world outdoor advertising company, just signed a 15 year deal with Dublin's "Rent-A-Bike " initiative and they are furnishing the initiative with 450 bicycles for the agreement.

London, UK. 8-14-09. Reported by Marketing: Primesight acquires Titan's billboards.

Titan's "roadside estate" comprises of 8,600 panels, consisting of 7,800 48 sheet panels and 700 96 sheet panels.

Primesight currently holds 13,000 small six sheet outdoor advertising panels across the UK, plus another 140 large format back light panels in the greater London area.

Titan Outdoor holds the exclusive advertising rights fort 17 Rail Station plus it manages advertising in 90 shopping malls and retail sites at supermarkets.

Los Angles, California US Reported by L.A. Times 8-14-09. The L.A. City Council voted to ban all "digital" billboards, plus multi story "super-graphics, and certain freeway-facing signs in a rat-race effort to beat down any possibility that it's temporary band might be struck down by the counts.

NY, NY. 8-15-09. Media-week: CBS Outdoor Global revenue down 27% in Q@. Internal revenues fell 36%. CBS said revenues from North America for 2Q fell 22%.

CBS swung to a $40 million dollar operating loss.

Abu Dhabi: The National: reported that outdoor advertising prices have held steady in face of the global downturn in advertising revenues. One source reported The National stated that large agencies were seeking discounts up to 40% to 60% but were refused!

Vancouver, BC. 8-12-09 The Vancouver Olympic Committee has $12 Million in unsold outdoor advertising and a revenue short fall of $42 million including a $30 million missing payment from the International Olympic Committee. ( VANOC is seeking to cut costs and is asking for temporary employees on loan from local companies rather than hiring people it self, and getting items pro bono where ever possible and hoping for pricey materials to be donated.)

Bill McInerney

South Africa. Reported by Gill Moore of Splitting Hairs, 11-Aug-09.The Irish Cell Billionaire, Denis O'Brien is throwing his weight around and just blocked the sale of INM, a SOUTH AFRICAN OUTDOOR ADVERTISING BUSINESS THAT WAS MEANT TO FETCH 100 million Euros and which would have helped INM settle its 200 Euros debt to its bondholders.

My Advice Find A Niche.

In my other blog, The Real Estate Professor, I mentioned that in my opinion it's going to take some time for some meager commercial real estate brokerage activity to return.

Commercial sales and leases are at an all time low in Middlesex Country of Massachusetts which contains 51 cities and towns. Suffolk Country( Boston) is no better off.

For many years Ive been engaged in various aspects of "vertical real estate" starting with Cable Television head-end sites and relay towers in the 1980's , then radio and televisions towers led me to the Outdoor Real Estate Business which then pointed me to telecommunication cell towers.

Recently I took a research trip to the mecca of US outdoor advertising and billboards, New York City. I met and talked with a many in the outdoor & billboard business, and many more savvy property owners and some sharp and experienced commercial real estate brokers.

So I've returned and to a former niche - outdoor advertising or billboards, but with a much different twist or rather a different perspective.

Rather then representing big billboard I've decided to assist, consult, represent and negotiate for property owners who license, rent or lease to such firms.

After considerable internet research I ow believe that there is both perhaps a national and even an international need for such specialised services. Only time will tell.

In the meantime I'll keep a toe in the slowly moving currents of commercial brokerage while I pursue a new and exciting business opportunity.

By the way, do you know anyone who leases property to a billboard firm?

BillMcInerney

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