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Seen a Rogue on
the loose?
Mention the words "Seattle-based" and "monopoly," and most people say "Microsoft." Well, if you want to see a real Northwest monopoly, look at virtually any billboard in Portland. AK Media/NW controls around 98 percent of them--and it wants more. Last month, the Seattle-based company, formerly known as Ackerley, carpet-bombed City Hall with 51 applications to enlarge existing billboards and 21 to erect new signs. Attached to the applications was a letter from Ackerley's attorneys challenging the constitutionality of the city's sign regulations. After fighting over City Hall's billboard limits for years, Ackerley agreed to a truce in 1986 ("Attack of the 50-foot Hefeweizen," WW, Sept. 10, 1997). Now, the war is back on. The company's demands quickly devolve into semantic technicalities, but they boil down to this: Ackerley wants bigger signs, more signs and new rules. And it wants them fast. We're no fans of billboards. We tend to agree with billboard critic Paul Leistner, who says only with strict regulation "can we make a dramatic difference in the appearance of our cities and towns." Nonetheless, we don't dispute Ackerley's right to challenge the city's billboard rules--it's the way the company is doing it that's roguish. By filing 72 applications at once, Ackerley swamped the city's planning department, making its superior firepower clear. Just to make sure the company got city officials' attention, Ackerley's attorney got personal. "You should be aware that relevant decisions of the United States Supreme Court make individuals personally liable for civil rights violations when those individuals attempt to enforce unconstitutional regulations," he wrote. "Any delay or denial could result in significant liability for the City and significant personal liability for any individuals responsible." And people thought Bill Gates was a bully.
Originally published August 5, 1998 |
