Social Responsibility
We do this by donating millions of dollars’ worth of public service advertising (PSA) to nonprofit and governmental organizations for their use in communicating information that positively affects the lives of those within our communities.
We believe addressing the challenges, big and small, that affect people’s daily lives is critical for influencing greater societal change. Our support extends to both local and national organizations as they improve health and public safety, ensure a sustainable environment and promote arts, education and cultural diversity. This collaboration works to inspire citizens to make a difference within their own communities.
Health & Safety
Improving Health & Public Safety
Clear Channel Outdoor Americas aids non-profits and law enforcement agencies as they make our communities safer, more beautiful and more culturally rich places to live. We believe addressing the challenges, big and small, that affect people’s daily lives is critical for influencing greater societal change.
Immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, Clear Channel Outdoor Boston worked with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to the general public of emergency response messages. Clear Channel Boston and MEMA continued to post PSAs, including MEMA’s twitter feed throughout the week and during the aftermath. In addition, during the manhunt for the bombing suspects all day Thursday, April 18, Clear Channel Outdoor Boston and MEMA posted emergency messages about the city’s shelter-in-place order, public transportation shutdown, areas affected by the lockdown, and much more.
Clear Channel Outdoor is honored to play a supportive role to law enforcement and public health and safety efforts. Since partnering with both federal and local law enforcement agencies in December, 2007, our billboards have led to the direct apprehension of 49 fugitives.
The flexibility of our real-time digital out-of-home media network has allowed us to play a major role in helping organizations communicate critical information to the mass public—instantly. This technology has delivered emergency information in crisis situations and brought attention to some of the country’s most complex issues, including human trafficking.
Through a partnership with the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Clear Channel Outdoor uses its media across the country to help recover abducted children through the distribution of AMBER Alerts.
Environment
Ensuring a Sustainable Environment
We are very focused on operating our business in ways that minimize the potential for causing harm to the environment.
Clear Channel Outdoor collaborated with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) Inc. to repurpose used vinyl sign material and turn it into art. The former vinyl billboards were cut into strips and sorted by color. The strips were then threaded through the KIB facility fence to brighten up the chain link with different designs.
In addition to full compliance with all laws designed to sustain and improve the environment, we are committed to employing ecologically friendly construction techniques, materials and operational procedures. Here are some ways that we have become dedicated to improved environmental practices:
Polyethylene (PE) Substrates
- We have converted our posters and the majority of our bulletin products to a recyclable PE substrate. We were the first major outdoor company to promote sustainable, recyclable PE production for both products.
Recycling
- In the past three years, we’ve recycled almost 2000 tons of PE material. (4 million pounds)
- Nearly 100% of our PE posters are recycled annually. In addition to encouraging the use of lightweight, recyclable PE materials on our bulletins, standard vinyl production materials are often repurposed for other uses or donated to different community services.
Water Conservation in SoCal
Pictured from left to right, Charley Wilson, chairman, Southern California Water Committee and Jeff Kghtlinger, general manager, Metropolitan Water District, Southern California and Layne Lawson, vice president, public affairs, CCO-LA.
Southern California Water Committee (SCWC) and Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) joined with state and regional water leaders in a partnership to encourage Californians to save water during the summer 2014 drought. SCWC and CCO launched an advertising campaign featuring a water-saving character, @Lawn_Dude, who graced 25 donated digital billboards across Southern California sharing his conservation tips.
Digital Displays
- Advances in LED technology, the use of light sensors and dimming technology that control brightness have all contributed to dramatic decreases in digital billboard energy consumption. Over the past four years, energy consumption has been reduced by as much as 61 percent in digital bulletins and 40 percent in digital posters.
- Up to 98% of digital billboard components are recyclable, leaving minimal impact on landfills.
Alternative Energy
- Our San Antonio branch has converted 30% of its electrical power needs to Windtricity through a partnership with CPS Energy.
- Our street furniture and transit shelters in San Francisco, Sacramento and Miami are powered by solar panels.
Energy Conservation
- We have reduced the number of lamps on traditional bulletins from 4 to 2 thereby decreasing energy use by over 60%.
- By installing light controllers and auto timers into many of its bulletin structures, we have also reduced electrical consumption on these units by 10%.
- To reduce electrical consumption in Transit Shelters while preserving illumination for public safety, we have switched to LED lighting in new units with plans to convert the majority of old units very soon.
Sources: OAAA.com, The Louis Berger Group Inc.
Arts, Education & Diversity
Promote Arts, Education and Cultural Diversity
In 2014, Clear Channel Outdoor and the entire North American OOH industry are embarking on the largest out-of-home celebration of art and creativity our nation has ever seen: Art Everywhere.
Digital Billboard Art Month, sponsored in-part by Clear Channel Outdoor Milwaukee, showcased the city’s many nonprofit visual art groups as well as its artists by rotating 18 select images on several digital billboards around the city for 10 days. Each image was identified by artist name and organization to showcase individual local artists and promote the local art institutions. Participating Milwaukee arts groups ranged from museums (Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art) to educational institutions (Mount Mary University) to artist groups (Milwaukee Artist Resource Network).
It will transform our media from coast-to-coast into art galleries by showcasing approximately 50 works of American art selected through a public vote. Ultimately it will inspire millions to discover and explore more American works of art by visiting museums throughout the U.S.
While Art Everywhere represents the first time all of Clear Channel Outdoor Americas has participated in one cooperative nationwide celebration of art, our markets have been supporting the arts in their communities for a number of years by celebrating the work of budding local artists, arts councils and cultural events.
Advertising Standards
Support Market-by-Market Advertising Standards
Our Code of Advertising Practices
For over a century we have been committed to delivering our advertiser’s message to the consumer. This role in the arena of public discourse requires both a defense of free speech and a sensitivity to contemporary standards and concerns. We recognize the need to balance these demands and therefore adhere to the following code of advertising practices:
- Establish exclusionary zones which prohibit advertisements of all products illegal for sale to minors that are intended to be read from places of worship, primary and secondary schools or playgrounds.
- Continue to assert the right to reject creative content that is misleading, sexually explicit, overly suggestive, or in any way reflects upon the character, integrity, or standing of any organization or individual.
- Continue our traditional commitment at both the national and local levels to display public service messages for worthy community causes.
- Encourage diversity of advertised goods and services in all markets.
Supplier Conduct
Supplier Code of Conduct
Clear Channel Outdoor is committed to business ethics, integrity, our approach to employee rights, information security, health and safety at work, and the protection of the environment.
The Clear Channel Outdoor Supplier Code of Conduct reflects our internal Clear Channel Outdoor Values, and especially our Value of Integrity. As a trusted business partner, we also expect your business to operate in accordance with the principles in this Supplier Code of Conduct in relation to any work you undertake with Clear Channel Outdoor or on our behalf, wherever in the world you operate.
Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for joining us in this commitment.
Scott Wells
Chairman and CEO,
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc.