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iHeartRadio Taking Over Iconic History Channel Billboard in South Bronx

By Eddie Small | July 28, 2016 5:11pm | Updated on July 29, 2016 9:31am
 iHeartRadio is moving into the iconic History Channel billboard in the South Bronx.
iHeartRadio is moving into the iconic History Channel billboard in the South Bronx.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

PORT MORRIS — The South Bronx's iconic History Channel billboard is officially history, and music company iHeartMedia is moving in to take over the spot.

Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, part of iHeartMedia, has invested $2 million to renovate the billboard over the last year, and the company is installing the iHeartRadio logo on it, along with a digital LED screen promoting iHeartMedia's various stations in the city, such as Z100, Power 105 and Q104.3.

The billboard is more than 8,000 square feet and will also promote events like the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour and Music Awards.

“We are proud of iHeartRadio’s strong presence in New York City, and this incredible billboard, which reaches millions of people every month with the power of this display, embodies our presence here and our commitment to our listeners,” iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman said in a statement.

The iconic sign, which overlooks the Harlem River, sits on top of 20 Bruckner Blvd. which was constructed for former Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and originally used to store ice and keep beer cold.

Ruppert Beer was the first brand that adorned the billboard from 1936 to 1952, followed by Knickerbocker Beer, City Services Gasoline, Kent Cigarettes, Golden Lights Cigarettes, Newport Cigarettes and the History Channel, according to Clear Channel Outdoor.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. described the sign in a statement as a landmark and a "beacon" to Bronx residents.

"On behalf of the millions who travel this route every week, and the more than 1.4 million people who live here, I am thrilled to welcome iHeartMedia to our borough’s waterfront,” he said.

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