These innovative stands will feature digital LCD panels instead of the traditional paper ads. This innovative format implemented by Cemusa will provide new avenues for selling advertising space. Their principal advantage is the technological and groundbreaking appeal for advertisers, who can also include interactive messages with audio, enabling users to connect headphones to the newsstand.
 
This new method of advertising will be sold in time modules, similar to TV commercials. Each screen has room for up to 8 advertisers with looped messages of up to 30 seconds each. The loops, lasting up to 8 minutes, will mix advertising with information of general interest.
 
The official tariff is $96,000 (around ?75,000 at current exchange rates) per 30-second spot, which will appear on the newsstands every 8 minutes. Three large American multinationals, whose identities cannot be revealed at this time, have already signed advertising space on the new facilities.
 
The newsstands will be located in Times Square, as it is the only area where NYC allows this type of multimedia installation; the area is classified as being of high commercial value. The first phase includes the installation of 8 digital newsstands (which could increase to at most 11), confined to Times Square.
 
Global bidding record
 
In 2006, NYC awarded FCC (controlled by Esther Koplowitz) a 20-year contract to install and operate advertising on urban furniture in the city.
This is the largest urban furniture advertising contract in the world, and bidders included the world's leading companies in the field of outdoor advertising and communication, such as Viacom, Clear Channel, Van Wagner with Verizon and JC Decaux with NBC-Universal. Cemusa expects revenues amounting to 1.600 billion euro over the 20-year concession.
 
 
As part of the company's contract, it maintains an office in Midtown. The contract created 85 direct jobs and another 85 jobs through sub-contracting with partners in the five boroughs. The contract also envisages the installation of 3,300 new bus shelters and 330 newsstands, replacing older versions in both cases, as well as 20 new automatic public toilets.
 
Presence in 13 countries
 
Cemusa, which has been operating since 1984, is specialised in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of urban furniture. It is one of the leading outdoor advertising groups in the world, providing quality service in 13 countries spanning Europe, North America and Latin America. It offers a wide range of street furniture, such as bus shelters, automatic toilets, newsstands, information panels, recycling containers and public bicycle hire systems.
 
Cemusa is a member of various advertising associations and other professional entities. It is currently Vice-President of the International Federation of Outdoor Advertising (www.fepe.com) and Chairman of the Spanish Outdoor Advertising Association (AEPE).
 
Video link to digital newsstands