Digital billboards are nothing new, but Clear Channel Outdoor will be testing ‘breaking news’ billboards in the Los Angeles area, starting today. The headlines will be controlled by the Los Angeles Times via a custom-built interface controlled from the newspaper’s offices. Ten billboards in all will run a ten-week test campaign consisting of eight-second rotational headlines and advertisements.

The technology was briefly tested during the recent Academy Awards broadcast, allowing the newspaper to quickly update news pertaining to the event. Dynamic billboards in Chicago, too, have been in use by police to help catch criminals.

High-tech signs to feature breaking news [Hollywood Reporter]