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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.5

                    CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to incorporation by
reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Lamar Advertising
Company (the "Registrant") of our report dated February 13, 1998, with respect
to the balance sheets of Martin Media (a California limited partnership) as of
December 31, 1997 and 1996 and the related statements of operations, partners'
capital (deficit) and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 1997, and our report dated February 13, 1998, with respect to the
balance sheets of Martin & MacFarlane, Inc. as of December 31, 1997 and 1996,
and the related statements of income, retained earnings and cash flows for each
of the two years in the period ended December 31, 1997 and the six month period
ended December 31, 1995, which reports appear in the Registrant's filing on Form
8-K dated July 6, 1999. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the
heading "Experts" in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 and the Prospectus.


                                      /s/ ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP


Bakersfield, California
October 18, 2000