San Francisco May Be First City To Restrict Yellow Pages
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – "Let your fingers do the walking" could be replaced with "let your finger do the clicking" in San Francisco. It's poised to become the first U.S. city to restrict delivery of Yellow Pages business directories.
The Board of Supervisors cast a 10-1 first vote on Tuesday to ban unrequested home and business delivery of the hefty telephone directories. There will be a second reading and final vote next week.
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
The idea is to protect the environment, fight neighborhood blight and help the economy. And advocates say the Internet makes the directories unnecessary.
The plan would require the producers of the Yellow Pages to ask residents and businesses if they want the phone books before handing them out.
"This legislation will help to preserve our environment, fight neighborhood blight and help our economy by limiting the mass over-distribution of Yellow Pages," said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu.
However, opponents of the proposal say it's a jobs killer. Amy Healy with the directory industry trade group, the Local Search Association said the measure would be devastating.
"Supervisor Chiu is under the impression that anyone who wants a book can still get a book, but why would you buy advertising as a small business person in a book with a baseline distribution of zero?" said Healy.
Nearly 1.6 million Yellow Pages directories are dropped on San Francisco doorsteps each year. The city said they generate 7 million pounds of paper waste and clog recycling equipment, leading to costly repairs.
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