The Los Angeles Times has announced that McDonald’s will deploy a digital signage network in 800 of its restaurants in California.

The project is being run by ChannelPort Communications, an LA company that has already been conducting pilot projects for the fast food chain.

Each site will receive two screens of 42” or 46”, covering 70% of eating areas. They will show content from leading media brands – such as reality TV producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Sing-Off), BBC America and KABC-TV Eyewitness News – as well as hyper-local content (supplied by Vimby), own-brand promotion and third-party advertising.

“The programming will be shown in a one-hour cycle consisting of installments or “pods” lasting 20 to 22 minutes. Each component will have several segments that include “The McDonald’s Achievers,” which will profile local high school and college athletes; “Mighty Moms,” a focus on local moms juggling home life with careers in sports such as coaching or training; “McDonald’s Channel Music News” about musical acts, tours and new releases; and Burnett’s “Vimby,” which will cover fashion, art, music, night life, lifestyle and culture news.

About eight minutes an hour will be devoted to advertising, and McDonald’s ad participation will be only a minute and a half […]”

The network should reach 18 – 20 million people per month.

If it is successful, it will be rolled-out nationally and expanded into a multi-platform network (Internet and mobile phone).