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Tribune to switch off programmes on DirecTV
MUMBAI: Millions of DirecTV subscribers will stop getting programming provided by Tribune television stations in 16 markets across the US at midnight 31 March, as result of breakdown in negotiations on transmission fees.
This is the date when Tribune‘s contract with DirecTV expires.
Subscribers will also lose access to WGN America, Tribune‘s national cable network.
Tribune has alleged that DirecTV is not offering it a fair deal by refusing to compensate for the rebroadcast of its television stations. At the same time, DirecTV is paying popular broadcasters for the right to distribute their programming for more than 10 years. The television station is now asking for an agreement that is similar to those that it has in place with other broadcasters and programme providers.
Tribune Broadcasting president Nils Larsen explained, “Despite our best efforts, DirecTV is refusing to offer a fair deal and we remain far apart in negotiations. As a result of DirecTV‘s inflexibility, there‘s a strong likelihood that service interruptions will occur. We feel we have an obligation to make sure DirecTV subscribers are aware that they will lose the programming provided both by our local stations and WGN America after Saturday.”
“Our television stations are vitally important assets in the communities we serve,” said Larsen. “Each week, viewers across our markets rely on us for more than 700 hours of local news, traffic, weather and sports coverage, as well as live sports events and high-quality entertainment programming. DirecTV subscribers will be deprived of all of that programming when our contract expires at midnight, March 31.”
As a result of breakdown of talks, DirecTV subscribers will lose entertainment programming such as “American Idol,”Glee”,”New Girl” and sports programming such as Nascar and Major League Baseball among others.
Tribune has established a web site telldirectv.com to enable DirecTV subscribers to register their concerns about losing this valuable programming. “Ssubscribers should let DirecTV know how they feel,” said Larsen. “Their opinions are important and they should let DirecTV know they want to keep all of this programming.”
Tribune is one of the leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing, and interactive. The company‘s broadcasting group owns or operates 23 television stations, WGN America on national cable and Chicago‘s WGN-AM.
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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.
