Metro May Tune Into Flat Screen TVs to Raise Revenue

WASHINGTON -- As Metro explores every avenue possible to save and raise money, the head of the transit agency may be thinking more like an executive working on Madison Avenue.

General Manager John Catoe tells WTOP he would like to see more advertising at stations, specifically in the form of flat screen televisions.

"As our tunnels become re-wired to increase cell phone usage, that would give us the capability to have video ads in all of the stations," said Catoe.

He also thinks the flat screen could serve a number of purposes.

"Not only would they be able to display ads, but they would be able to give weather and news information, as well as service updates."

Metro currently pulls in about $35 million a year from advertising, and has had an increase of $3 million recently from ads that include "ad-wrapped" buses and trains, where the entire vehicle is covered with one big advertisement.

"I expect that we will make more as the (flat screen) televisions go into the stations and there will be multiple advertisements."

However, there have been questions raised about how much advertising is too much. The Riders Advisory Council, which represents Metro riders, couldn't decide how many ads it would be willing to be subjected to on a daily basis.

Catoe expects that the flat screens will become a part of every Metro station within the next two years.

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