This event is only held twice per year, and we only allow 10 people in the program, to maximize one-on-one coaching.

The course is held in both the classroom and field, and offers a total immersion in the business. How to succeed in all types of outdoor types, and all kinds of markets from small towns to large cities, will be covered.

The course is taught by Frank Rolfe, who built from scratch the largest privately-owned billboard company in Dallas/Ft. Worth. He will show you all the shortcuts, tricks and insider secrets that will give you a distinct advantage over your competition.

For more information call (800) 950-1364 or go to www.outdoorbillboard.com.

Collins Outdoor Advertising filed the injunction following the receipt of a $250,000 condemnation check from the city, and the city stating that the sign now belonged to them and could be removed.

Collins is claiming that the city conspired with NSD Hotel Associates, developer of Candlewood Suites, to remove the sign for aesthetic reasons, and not for a road to the LaCrosse River Marsh, as the city claims.

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

You’d think the $250,000 would be enough? I’ve never been to La Crosse, Wisconsin but I do know it’s not exactly a huge market. I hope Collins is not letting their pride get in the way of some basic economic fundamentals. Maybe there’s more to the market than meets the eye, but I’d take the money and run.

People ask me all the time what a sign is worth. Well, apparently in La Crosse, Wisconsin, population 51,000, more than $250,000.

Without public discussion or comment, the Alderman voted 3 to 2 to table the new ordinance, effectively killing it.

Brendan Casey, President of Epic Outdoor said  the ordinance “never was in the best interests of the advertising public, landowners, or the tourism industry”.

Lisa Modrick, a member of a task force on the sign code, had a different summation, “the issue is not going to go away, because there is a problem.”
Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

Here is a perfect example of how to approach a city council – do it behind the scenes and not in the public’s view. Somehow the council mysteriously changed their stance on the ordinance. How do you think that happened? Probably from individual lobbying of those council members who were on the fence. An excellent job of political maneuvering.

“We absolutely will seek the removal of all those signs that have no permits” said Deputy City Attorney Michael Bostrom. The court struck down injunctions blocking the removal of 40 super graphics at various locations throughout the city.

The only positive factor for the billboard industry from the ruling is the potential establishment of 21 new billboard districts in Los Angeles – areas that actually want new billboards to be built. This may be possible due to new confidence in the ability of the city to regulate the industry.

The ruling reversed the decision two years ago that struck down the city’s 2002 sign ordinance.

Under this system, the total number of signs in Bossier City would be frozen, but the owners of those signs would be allowed to move them to other locations in the city that meet the sign code, but would have to remove two times the amount of square footage as is replaced. For example, if a sign company wanted to build a new 14′ x 48′ bulletin, it would have to remove 1,344 square feet of advertising space out of its inventory.

“The more I looked at it, the more I liked it” said Sam Marsiglia of the plan. Marsiglia is the director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Maine, Montana and Vermont have already banned digital signs. Minnesota is considering a ban. More than a dozen cities have banned LED signs including Dallas, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Knoxville.

At issue is whether or not the signs are distracting to drivers and cause accidents. The Federal Highway Administration is conducting its own study which should come out in 2011.

“Let’s dip our toe in”, said Dingfelder, “then we gauge the community’s reaction”. That reasoning seemed to resonate well with the other council members, except for council member Mary Mulhern, who thought no vote should come before the completion of a national study on the impact of such signs.

The vote was the result of a lawsuit settlement with Clear Channel and CBS that had a provision that the city must allow digital signs. Marilyn Healy, an attorney for CBS, said that she believed that allowing 6 signs would keep the agreement in place.

“We’re still anticipating the city removing the billboard” hotel developer Paul Borsheim said. “They say they’re committed to getting it removed. Unfortunately, the condemnation process doesn’t go as quickly as we would like”.

The sign’s owner, Collins Outdoor Advertising, has challenged the condemnation in court, charging that the city is claiming the sign has to come down in order to build a road that doesn’t actually go anywhere. “All along we have maintained that this is really an effort by the city to transfer our private property right to another private property owner.”

After winning in court, the city took down the illegal sign, only to have Desert Outdoor file suit again to challenge that action.

The Federal Appeals Court gave a unanimous 3 – 0 ruling that the City of Oakland had acted within their rights.

Under the Highway Beautification Act, states must monitor and enforce the statute or risk losing their national funding of their highway program, In Kentucky, that amounts to about $42 million per year.

The sign was built without any permits or authorization from the Kentucky Department of Transportation, which is demanding its removal. “It has nothing to do with the message” says Chuck Wolfe with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration has sent a letter reminding Kentucky that the sign must come down, or their funding may be stopped.

State Representative Johnny Bell introduced a bill exempting religion signs from the Kentucky sign ordinance, and it passed the House by a vote of 80 to 16. However, the members of the Senate have vowed to defeat it.