Squabble over on-screen advertising in Zurich

 A dispute about screen advertising is underway in Zurich that has already reached the Federal Court. Jürg Knecht and his billboard advertising company Citylights have installed a glass showcase on a building wall at the entrance to Niederdorf, where a flat screen displays changing advertisements every ten seconds. This does not suit the city. As the Tages-Anzeiger reports, it has asked Knecht to remove the flat screens. This would disturb the historic townscape of Niederdorf. Jürg Knecht has taken the case to the Federal Court. The court has not yet ruled on the case. But at the end of March, it demanded that Knecht temporarily stop the illuminated advertising until the court has ruled. Since then, Knecht has not complied. The Department of Buildings is now demanding that the billboard advertiser immediately turn off the screens. Otherwise, the city will either cut off the power to the display cases or cover and seal them. As department spokesman Urs Spinner told the Tages-Anzeiger, the city fears that Knecht's idea will quickly spread due to the slow pedestrian traffic in Niederdorf, which is interesting for advertisers, and that it will significantly disturb the townscape.
Knecht was not yet able to say at the weekend how he will react to the ultimatum of the city. In any case, the verdict is "threatening his existence". He has reacted insofar as he now carries out the picture change without optical ellipse effect. According to the Tages-Anzeiger, Knecht feels totally in the right and has already installed a similar flat screen in a different location.