Regulatory bottlenecks hurt OOH business in Kanpur

OOH business in the industrial city of Kanpur is acutely hit by curbs placed on the media by the municipal body in June following a casualty and damages caused by OOH media structures that had collapsed in the face of stormy weather. The civic authorities had swooped down on OOH media, stopping the business in its tracks. But since then the OOH firms acted in consort to meet the various conditions laid down by the civic body in order to bring the business back on the rails.

The Outdoor Advertisers Association of Kanpur took the lead in getting the member firms to comply with all the norms and demands set by the corporation that include receipt of payment made to landlords that have rented out premises for hosting billboards and hoardings, fitness and stability certification of media structures, etc. However, the industry has not got the due approvals from the civic authority, stated the industry association.

Rajib Dutta, Vice President of the city’s outdoor industry association, and founder of Day Night Media, said the OOH firms have encountered a lot of hardship in recent months and many workers too faced income loss. He said that it was important to reignite the business, adding that the association will take every step to protect the interests of the OOH players.

Rakesh Valmiki, Managing Partner, Indian Outdoor Advertising, also expressed his dissatisfaction over the Kanpur municipal body’s apathy towards the outdoor industry. He pointed out that media owners are having to foot the rent bills raised by the landlords, pay wages and salaries even as business stays hit for 4 months now. He said that the OOH firms have submitted all requisite documents to the authority but there is no response from the authority.