Hey, there! Log in / Register
Legislators think they can fight the IOC and keep control of billboards along area highways if we get the Olympics
By adamg on Sat, 04/18/2015 - 11:02am
Several legislators, including our own reps Aaron Michlewitz (D-North End) and Jay Livingstone (D-Back Bay) have filed legislation that would prohibit the IOC from simply taking over control of billboards and electric signboards owned by the MBTA, MassDOT and Massport in the Boston area should Boston get the 2024 Olympics - unless the IOC pays the going rates for using the spaces.
No doubt they filed their amendment - aimed at protecting state revenue sources - to the state budget bill after reading how the IOC got London to turn over all of its billboards and signboards to the IOC - at no charge - for IOC advertising purposes before and during the 2012 games (as detailed in this Vanity Fair article, which also notes London's original bid claimed the games would cost $4 billion to put on - a cost that escalated to more than $18 billion).
Via Hester Prynne on Blue Mass. Group.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
The IOC
Parasite or malignancy?
Discuss.
Like the Illuminati only less
Like the Illuminati only less competent and with worse PR.
Parasite or malignancy?
Parasite or malignancy?
The answer is of course, both.
As we commemorate a few thousand local farmers who sniped at overreaching British regulars as they marched back to Boston, it's time to redouble our efforts to send the 2024 Olympics elsewhere.
It's Been Said "You Can't Fight City Hall" - True?
eff the ioc
^
Amen
!!!!
Charlie Pierce
Has a nice take down on Grantland - http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-boston-olympic-debacle/
Quoted from the link
All rights to C. Pierce:
"You want to bring your Euro-trash electoral hooliganism to this country? Come to Massachusetts, boys, and see how the real professionals do it. We have consultants who will steal your overstuffed shirts and sell them back to you by lunchtime. We have people who can get 3,000 votes out of a precinct that has 1,500 people registered and do it so that no court in the land could gainsay the count. I mean, seriously, do these people have any idea what they’re getting into?"
Question about Fish and WCVB
Remember the video of John Fish questioning the patriotism of those of us who oppose the Olympics? It was gone from the WCVB website about 24 hours after it was posted. Did anyone from WCVB ever explain? Adam asked for an explanation on twitter.
here's a video,not the original but includes the unpatriotic bit
http://www.wcvb.com/news/walsh-clarifies-comments-on-fishs-olympic-role/...
There's just one huge flaw here
The state (MassDOT, MBTA, etc.) does not own the billboards. They only lease the land the billboards sit on to Clear Channel and other companies, who then sell the ad space (and reap huge profits while paying a mere pittance in annual fees to the state).
So, legally, this legislation has no actual meaning or force.