CDGK to introduce ‘digital advertisement technology’
Karachi: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is planning to introduce new ‘digital advertisement technology’ that will replace the conventional erecting of huge billboards at the side of the road for commercial publicity purposes.
This technology will be totally computerised and advertisements will be controlled and displayed through a computerised control room.
Sources told The News that a private firm has been awarded the contract for these ‘neon signs,’ (which are being called ‘LED screens’) by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal.
The private firm will import the technology, which reduce the risk of advertisement hoardings falling down like those during the torrential storms last summer. In this regard, the firm has also been provided space in Clifton on an experimental basis.
The sources said that, though the project was very expensive, it would be introduced gradually. At present, thousands of people are engaged with the billboards and hoardings business, which is also a great sources of revenue for the CDGK, and the introduction of the new technology may render many people jobless as their services would become redundant.
These sign boards can be changed through digital technology and will take minimum time to be installed. This technology will also tell the advertiser on the computer how his advertisement will appear after it is displayed.
Experts say that this technology will utilise minimum electricity and continue to work despite electricity outages because they could be operated through batteries.
An important thing in the new technology is that the ads could be saved permanently in the computer memory and recalled at any time – thus saving the time, money and effort.
The sources said that an advertiser would also be able to send the advertisement to the control room through e-mail and, prior to the operation of the system, experts will impart training to the people and new employment avenues will be opened.
Once the system is operational, the risk of loss of lives due to falling of hoardings in any natural calamity will be minimal. After last summer’s rainfall, in which almost 98 hoardings on Sharae Faisal had collapsed, resulting in the loss of precious lives, President Prevez Musharraf had directed the authorities concerned to declare the road hoarding-free. However, the authorities and the stakeholders largely ignored the directives.
Source: The News
Date:11/23/2007
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