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Digitisation: Govt asks MSOs and LCOs to furnish details
MUMBAI: With the digitisation sunset date of 30 June approaching in the four metros, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked all the cable operators – multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) – to furnish details of their operations.
The I&B Ministry said that it is proposing to generate and maintain statistical database of MSOs and LCOs operating in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
The Ministry wants details such as contact details, registration number, date of last renewal of registration and city and area of operation. In case of MSOs, further information asked for include city wise total number of LCOs being served, city wise total number of head-ends (existing and additionally planned), and channel capacity of each head-end.
Meanwhile, LCOs will have to provide details like total number of subscribers, total number of STBs required for digitisation, how many already installed, balance to be installed, number of STBs for which order is placed, what quality standards have been adopted for STBs and what mechanism has been put in place for redressal of grievances of subscribers.
The MSOs and LCOs are to provide the details latest by 20 April to Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL).
As per Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011, it is mandatory for cable operators to make the switchover from analogue cable TV network to Digital Addressable System.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
