MADISON, Wis., May 8 (UPI) -- The future is near in Wisconsin, where Gov. Jim Doyle is expected to sign a state law permitting giant high-definition television screens along highways.
Foes say giant full-size electronic billboards are the outdoor equivalent of telemarketing and have asked Doyle to veto the legislation. Wisconsin is not the pastoral dairyland it once was and tourism plays a major role in the state's economy.
"We think it's intrusive on the landscape and distracting from a safety perspective," Lisa MacKinnon, spokeswoman for the environmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin told Monday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Plus it's the outdoor equivalent of telemarketing: You don't get any choice in the matter."
She said a giant electronic sign changing its message every few seconds could cause driver distraction and accidents. Displays of moving or scrolling video images would not be allowed under the law.
The high-tech billboards were backed by the Outdoor Advertising Association. Wisconsin has one private electronic LED billboard advertising an Indian casino that was permitted by the state transportation department years ago, the newspaper said.
