KINGSTON, Jamaica — Advertising company Visual Vibe says it is inviting the country’s municipal corporations to deepen their engagement with the outdoor advertising industry, as councils across the island review fees, permits and enforcement practices affecting digital screens.

In a statement on Friday, Visual Vibe, which operates more than 300 screens islandwide, said it fully supports the councils’ efforts to bring order to the sector.

The statement comes amid a sustained campaign by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to address illegally erected and delinquent signage.

Visual Vibe noted that it is in complete agreement with municipal action to clamp down on illegal and unpermitted screens, and welcomes a more regulated industry but also cited a need for balance.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kintyre Holdings, owners of Visual Vibe, Tyrone Wilson said: “What we are asking for is balance. The digital out-of-home segment is still young in Jamaica, and it cannot be approached as though it is able to fund municipal budgets. If we get the framework right together, the industry will grow, and so will the revenues that flow from it — sustainably.”

Noting that digital screens do have “significant” overhead costs including electricity, maintenance and repairs, insurance, connectivity and software, Visual Vibe warned that when municipal fees and charges rise sharply on top of these overheads it puts the industry at risk.

“The result is that escalating charges do not generate more revenue for anyone; they simply push compliant companies toward a position where the business is no longer viable,” Wilson said.

The company said it is also encouraging municipal corporations to consider “more measured and respectful methods of enforcing their positions”.

Describing some current approaches as unnecessarily public, the company said this can cause embarrassment for brands whose advertisements appear on screens pushing them to move their budgets to other media.

Instead it championed that discreet, professional engagement between councils and operators achieves compliance without damaging the commercial ecosystem on which municipal revenues themselves depend.

Visual Vibe also said outdoor screens are used as a public good through missing children alerts, emergency communications and support for culture and entertainment where advertising for cultural entrepreneurs, events and creatives is frequently offered at heavily discounted rates, and at no cost where the nation’s cultural icons are involved.