Digital billboard operators told to clean up their act

Digital billboard operators told to clean up their act

Out-of-home (OOH) media providers have tightened their self-regulation of digital billboards after a barrage of complaints to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Out-of-home media operators have tightened self-regulation of digital billboards after complaints about poor traffic visualisation. PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH 

The BMA has received many complaints related to digital screens, which have caused poor traffic views and endangered people passing by OOH billboards.

The most prominent areas for the digital screens are intersections around Rama IX, Patumwan, Rama IV, Pratunam and CentralWorld.

According to a BMA source digital screens installed near police booths do not require any permission because the BMA compromises with media providers. These screens can help the public by showing announcements about missing people and such.

With the mounting complaints about digital screens, the BMA will submit its
proposed rules to the Interior Ministry because there are no regulations for digital screens.

According to the BMA database, 989 outdoor billboards and digital screens were active at the end of 2012. Of the total, 841 were legal boards and the rest were not.

Tharnandorn Thongplaw, secretary-general of the Advertising and Sign Producing Association (ASPA), said the proliferation of digital billboards in Thailand serves interactive communications demand.

ASPA has jointly enforced screen brightness rules among its members in order to reduce visual pollution and traffic collisions.

Still, there are no firm regulations governing digital screens. ASPA and the BMA are jointly drafting specific guidelines.

"We have urged the BMA for over five years to issue a special regulation on outdoor billboards, but it didn't pay any attention," Mr Tharnandorn said.

There are three current regulations related to outdoor billboard installation: the Building Control Act, local administrative rules and those set by the Expressway Authority of Thailand.

Sakkachat Siwaboworn, managing director of I-Bric Co, the provider of Sign Asia Expo and LED digital signs, said digital screens were favoured by OOH media providers because of high demand from advertisers and consumers.

The value of digital screens is estimated at more than 5 billion baht a year.

Outdoor digital screens are mushrooming in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as well, thanks to the spread of urbanisation and digital culture.

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