Categorized | Business, Lower Pottsgrove, People

Sex Sells … But, He’s Hopeful, Not In Lower Pottsgrove

Posted on 21 April 2011. Tags: , ,

POTTSTOWN PA – Lighted, digital billboards approved Tuesday (April 19, 2011) by the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Zoning Hearing Board, to be seen by drivers on U.S. Route 422, are expected to be colorful and eye-catching. What if, township resident and former commissioner Thomas Troutman wondered aloud, they were eye-popping too?

A controversial billboard for a Gucci perfume, which appeared last October in Los Angeles

Is there any guarantee the advertising signs will not show sexual or offensive content?, Troutman asked board members and representatives of owner Lamar Advertising of Penn LLC, during their hearing at the township municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown.

Two chances of that, Lamar Director of Real Estate Melissa Nye quickly replied: slim and much slimmer. Her company, she said, follows strict guidelines to prevent such displays. “I know my manager would never allow it,” she said.

“I’m sure that’s so now,” but companies, policies and managers change, Troutman contended. What will keep unappealing, or maybe overly appealing, images off those oversized, television-like screens in the future?, he asked.

Possibly nothing, hearing board attorney Robert Brant observed.

In fact, Brant added, imposing any such restriction would violate the First Amendment – the one that ensures the right of free speech – of the U.S. Constitution. “We can’t limit free speech,” Brant said of the board, whose members must deal only with applicable township laws.

The best Troutman might hope for, apparently, is that good taste will prevail.

Related:

Photo from Daily Billboard

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2 Responses to “Sex Sells … But, He’s Hopeful, Not In Lower Pottsgrove”

  1. France Krazalkovich says:
    April 23, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Pesky Constitution! ;-)

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Thursday’s Headlines In The Post | The Sanatoga Post says:
    April 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    [...] Sex Sells … But, He’s Hopeful, Not In Lower Pottsgrove What will keep offensive content off advertising billboards just approved in Lower Pottsgrove? Maybe good taste alone. As for a legal restriction, well, there’s this constitutional guarantee of free speech … [...]


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