Billboard Confidential - Part 3

Last October SoCal Connected aired a two-part series investigating the booming billboard business in Los Angeles. We found a city overrun with 4,000 illegal billboards and a city government unable or unwilling to regulate the signs of LA. This video takes a look at what's happened since our last report.

In December 2008, the City Council passed a three month temporary sign ban to give the city time to draft a tougher sign ordnance. But that didn't stop signs from going up. And that's when the fire department got involved. the Los Angeles City Fire Department has begun to cite some supergraphics for fire safety violations. the concern is these mega sized advertisements draped on the side of buildings can prevent firefighters from fighting a fire and block exits for those inside the structures. Tonight we take a closer look at what's being done to tear down these signs.

We are also taking a closer look at the proposed new sign ordnance. As it stands now, it will restrict new signs and digital conversions. But, as is typical with the billboard saga in LA, there is a catch. The proposal allows for twenty sign districts to be created. Many of them are just a block from residential areas. These sign districts can become a wide open territory for signs and digital billboards. this could greatly impact nearby residential communities. It's an important footnote that was never mentioned in last week's planning commission meeting.