SignageWire

As noted by MediaWeek writer Michael Bürgi, Out There, is the publication's, "first-ever editorial section devoted to the burgeoning out-of-home media business. Compiled and reported by senior editor Katy Bachman, the new monthly section aims to cover all facets of the business: traditional outdoor billboards, place-based media, digital technology, alternative offerings, as well as advertising and research issues." He explains the rationale for the timing of the new publication:

Why now? Money. Revenue growth in the OOH sector outpaced all other media except for the Internet in 2007, and the medium is expected to keep growing at a healthy clip. And if you work in any major market, it's simply inescapable. In my daily walk to the Times Square subway station, I'm dwarfed by massive wallscapes and spectaculars of all sorts as I pass phone booths (the few that are left) equipped with digital signage. Even taxis now carry video content.

Our take:

Between Marketing at Retail Magazine, Digital Signage Magazine, Sign Business, Signs of the Times, a dozen or so POP-related magazines and probably even more that we're forgetting at the moment, the market for new publications covering the industry seems crowded. However, MediaWeek currently does an admirable job of covering multiple media-related markets with clarity, brevity and insight, so we expect that Out There will be of a similarly high quality.