Noticed a lack of blinky flashiness on the roads yesterday? That's because billboard companies Clear Channel Outdoors and CBS Outdoors actually turned off their digital billboards yesterday, per court order. The move is just the latest in the long-running and surprisingly kind of dramatic battle between billboard companies, other billboard companies, and the city. CBS and Clear Channel put up about 100 signs back in 2006 (mostly in West LA and Hollywood) after making a very quiet deal with the city; competitor Summit Media sued and the resulting battle has been raging since then. In December, a judge ruled the billboards had to come down and a week later Clear Channel claimed the signs were a public safety necessity (LOL!) and that they'd sue the city for upwards of $100 million if they were forced to take them down. Finally, this past Friday a judge said "Seriously, shut them off." Now 82 Clear Channel signs have gone dark, according to the Daily News, and "The remaining signs of the original 100 will be discussed in an additional court hearing today." Meanwhile, business leaders are hoping the city will make a new digital billboard deal.
· Digital billboards shut down across Los Angeles [LADN]
· Judge Rules 100 of LA's Digital Billboards Have to Come Down [Curbed LA]
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