The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has extended the feedback deadline for its draft Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising policy to September 9 till 3 pm. A notification in this regard was issued Monday evening. The previous deadline stipulated by the civic body ended on Monday.

The Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA), in a letter last week, urged the BMC to extend the timeline to submit their objections and suggestions from two weeks to two months. Besides, the complexity of the matter and larger impact, multiple holidays such as Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami between the dates of release of the draft and submission of feedback (Aug 9 to Aug 26) have also limited the scope for industry deliberations in such a short span.

The BMC has so far received 38 representations advocating for relaxed norms in the draft Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising policy, a top BMC official told e4m.

Stakeholders and citizens have requested several changes, including the re-authorization of terrace hoardings and extended operational hours for digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, sources privy to the development told e4m.

According to sources, one major concern is the prohibition on terrace hoardings.

“They argue that these installations not only benefit the OOH industry but also provide crucial revenue to housing societies, aiding their operational costs. They emphasize that many media owners have long-standing agreements with these societies, making the abrupt removal of terrace hoardings impractical and disruptive,” said an official.

Additionally, there is significant pushback against the restrictive regulations on DOOH advertising , e4m has learnt. Industry representatives have told BMC that extending operational hours would better accommodate the needs of advertisers and enhance the effectiveness of digital campaigns.

These requests highlight the ongoing debate between regulatory measures and industry needs, as the BMC works to finalize a policy that balances both public interests and commercial viability.

Notably, the proposed policy has several contentious clauses that have irked the entire industry. Stakeholders feel that the policy will stifle the industry business, compromises on aesthetics of Mumbai and may even fall short on safety. e4m published their major concerns in a detailed manner last Friday.

Once approved, the new policy will oversee all outdoor advertising approvals, including digital formats, for the next decade from the date of issuance.