L. A. Council OKs Strict New Banner Rules

The Dodgers, ABC-TV and other businesses will be prohibited from hanging banners on Los Angeles light poles after the City Council on Tuesday adopted strict new rules for the promotional signs.

The council agreed, with restrictions, to allow nonprofits to continue hanging banners, but limited the logo of corporate sponsors to 20% of the banner space, and imposed fees when logos are used.

The new rules were proposed in response to concerns about a proliferation of street banners in Los Angeles, including many put up in the public right of way by for-profit corporations. City officials estimate that there are about 6,200 banners up.

“In some communities, the banners have been part of the blight,” said Councilman Mike Hernandez. “In some communities, the private sector was definitely taking advantage of them.”

The issue reached the boiling point in August when CBS-TV executives complained that the city had allowed rival network ABC to put up 2,000 banners advertising its shows, including banners put up across the street from the CBS studios in Studio City.

ABC was ordered by the city to take the banners down, but the network complained that other for-profit enterprises, including the Dodgers and Lakers, were allowed to use them. City officials admitted at the time that the rules were not clear.

The rules approved Tuesday prohibit businesses from putting up banners advertising their products. The council adopted the prohibition despite requests to exempt professional sports teams that supporters maintained are part of Los Angeles’ civic image.

“Los Angeles sporting events need to be supported,” said Albert Gold, head of a Pacoima graphics company that has made banners for the Dodgers, Lakers and World Cup soccer tournament. “These banners give a big impetus to the sports teams.”

Tommy Hawkins, a Dodgers executive, said the banners that advertised the team were a good reminder baseball season had started.

“We are disappointed because we have been very proud of the banners we displayed on city streets,” Hawkins said.

But he said he understood why the city was limiting banners.

Council members said any exemption for a sports team could open the door to broader demands.

“Those teams clearly promote civic pride,” Councilman Mike Feuer said. “But once we allow some exceptions, it becomes difficult. For obvious reasons, the slippery slope makes it more complicated.”

The council also directed the Public Works Board to approve a new fee structure and more detailed rules for other banners.

The council voted to allow banners that promote events by the city and nonprofit groups to be put up for free. No more than 20% of any charity banner may be devoted to the logo of a corporate sponsor. The charity would be required to pay a $10 fee for each banner that included a corporate logo when 100 or fewer banners are put up and $25 per banner when more than 100 banners are put up.

An earlier draft of the rules would have prohibited nonevent banners, such as the 500 “Valley of the Stars” banners put up throughout the San Fernando Valley to promote the area’s link to the entertainment industry.

“The initial draft probably would have meant the end of our campaign,” said Bill Allen, CEO of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, which put up the banners. “The new ordinance allows our campaign to continue, which will benefit the Valley and the whole city.”

Terry Morello of the UCLA / Hammer Museum questioned a provision that would require banners for museum events to be placed throughout the city if more than 200 are put up, saying it would dilute marketing campaigns to get people into the museum.

But a proposal to raise the threshold to 300 banners failed to win council support.

City Councilman Hal Bernson proposed the council retain authority to approve the design of nonevent banners. He was concerned about banners put up recently in his northwest Valley district by a Messianic Jewish congregation that read, “Yes, there are Jews who believe in Jesus.”

Gail Weingart of the city attorney’s office questioned whether the council could legally make decisions on banner applications based on content.

“I think there’s some constitutional issues if you allow some and don’t allow others,” she warned.

In the end, Bernson’s motion failed on a 6-6 vote.