‘MCG move is arbitrary & inconsistent with the set regulatory norms’

The unexpected move of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to call for removal of advertising media on the civil structures of Delhi Metro and Rapid Metro networks running the city of Gurugram has raised more questions than having solved any problem. While DMRC and Rapid Metro are independently finding a solution to the problem posed by MCG, media owning firms like Pioneer Publicity that hold media rights on the DMRC line extending into Gurugram are pointed to certain inconsistencies in the norms governing the media rights.

Deepak Vasudeva, Director, Pioneer Publicity out rightly stated that it is impractical and unfair to change the norms of the media contract so abruptly, that too when the media owning firms have made substantial investments to develop the media on the Metro network. Moreover, the rights were obtained through the bidding process.

Deepak pointed out that since both DMRC and MCG are government bodies, there is every reason they should be able to work out the solution instead of getting into a stand-off.

Pertinent to note that the Haryana government had approached DMRC in 2006 to extend the metro line to the city of Gurugram, and there were no issues raised then over media rights. Those developments also precede the ad policy that the MCG came up with. Deepak believes that it is incumbent on MCG to adhere to the operating principles that were agreed upon earlier.

ICONS, which has the media rights on Rapid Metro network, was not available to share their comments on the matter.

Meanwhile, it is evident that the MCG move is triggered by the expectation that the metro networks should share a greater share of their ad revenues with the urban local bodies.