MAM
Bombay High Court ends OOH hoardings’ Covid2019 messaging mandate
MUMBAI: In a move that comes as a relief, during the fourth virtual Bombay high court hearing, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCMG) has asked media owners to stop displaying awareness messages around Covid2019 on its OOH properties.
In the month of March, MCMG had mandated all hoarding owners to feature messages around the pandemic to raise public awareness. However, while the duration of the messages was supposed to be 10 days, the campaigns continued for almost three months, free of charge.
During the hearing, the council of MCMG also said that they would need some more time to come to a conclusion on the compensation charges which are to be applied on the non-payment of licence fees. On the matter of licence fee payment, the civic body has filed its reply to the Bombay High Court. However, it has not been disclosed yet. The next hearing will take place on Friday, 19 June.
The OOH players who appealed for the waiver of the licence fee are- Creation Publicity Pvt Ltd, Bright Advertising Pvt Ltd, Orion Advertisers, Anurag Sites, Em Vee Advertising Company, Pingle Outdoor, Yoag Advertisers and Pioneer Publicity Corporation Ltd.
The outdoor industry which has already suffered huge losses and has also not been compensated is also looking for some relief after the next hearing.
In May, the high court issued an interim order instructing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to not impose a licence fee on hoardings for May in the wake of the losses suffered by OOH players due to the pandemic.
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
