Philadelphia newsstands could get electronic billboards

A proposal in Philadelphia City Council would allow electronic billboards on newsstand. Opponents are already lining up against the plan.

At-large Councilman Bill Greenlee said he would like to see eight foot by seven foot electronic billboards on the back of newsstands. He sees it as new revenue for a struggling business.

“The newsstand industry has changed over the years,” he said. “People don’t buy as many newspapers from newsstands anymore. So in order to have these individuals keep thriving, we have to try to improve their environment a little bit.”

Greenlee said the lighted billboards would also add some life to the city streets. Mary Tracy of the group “Scenic Philadelphia” disagrees.

“City Council needs to take a look at the real safety issues here and what is the benefit of having giant television sets alongside our sidewalk,” Tracy said.

She said the signs could also be a violation of federal laws if money from Washington was used to maintain the streets.