- 1970
- The Highway Beautification Act of 1968 was funded by Congress, forcing states to enact compliance laws regarding the spacing, size and lighting of outdoor advertising structures in the vicinity of federally funded primary and Interstate highways. Congress amended the Highway Beautification Act, creating the Urban System which sought to regulate the visual environment in urban areas.
- 1971
- The Institute of Outdoor Advertising (IOA) merged with the OAAA to become a division within the OAAA overall structure. The IOA retained its name and basic function, but the merger was intended to streamline the lines of communication between the IOA and the Association membership.
- Land use lawyers Daniel Mandelker and William Ewald published their report, “Street Graphics: A Concept and a System,” a model municipal sign ordinance program. The controversial report touched off widespread debate among both outdoor advertising and city planning professionals, and contributed to a general rethinking of the problems connected to the urban visual landscape.
- 1972
- Tobacco advertising was banned from broadcast media. Outdoor then became one of the most popular venues for tobacco advertising.
- As part of a broad reorganization plan, the OAAA divided some of the functions of the IOA and created the OAAA Marketing Division.
- A major revision to the Federal Highway Act failed to pass Congress, due to a lack of quorum present on the last day of the Congressional session.
- 1975
- The Institute of Outdoor Advertising (IOA) launched a campaign to test the effectiveness of billboard advertising, using the image of newly crowned Miss America, Shirley Cothran. Her name recognition soared after the campaign.
- The Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) hired the firm E.J. Sharsky & Associates to re-evaluate its traffic estimating procedures. It was the first complete review of TAB procedures since its inception in 1934. The findings were published in the book Counting Cars in 1979.
- 1982
- The National Outdoor Advertising Bureau (NOAB) dissolved.
- The Institute of Outdoor Advertising (IOA) conducted a $2.5 million, 60-day, multiple-site market study test for the Clark Candy Company The test, which covered eight market sites around the U.S., was considered to be the largest recall/recognition study of outdoor advertising for a single product up to that time.
- 1983
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in Metromedia v. City of San Diego, ruled that the San Diego, Calif., anti-billboard ordinances were unconstitutional limitations on free speech.
- 1984
- The first video billboard went on display in Kansas City (June 14). It was a joint collaboration between the Gannett Outdoor Company, Sony Communications and Video Masters, Inc.
- 1986
- OAAA‘s Board of Directors voted to separate the OAAA and IOA into two distinct organizations, so each could re-evaluate its purpose and examine how it could better serve the Association membership.
- Metromedia sold its Foster & Kleiser division to the Patrick Media Group.
- 1990
- Revenue for outdoor advertising reached $1.5 billion; the outdoor industry donated over $140 million in advertising to charitable causes
