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Channel 4 picks up shows from Buena Vista
MUMBAI: UK broadcaster Channel 4 has acquired exclusive UK rights to screen Buena Vista International Television‘s (BVITV) shows Betty the Ugly and Brothers and Sisters.
The deal was agreed between Channel 4 director of acquisitions Jeff Ford and BVITV executive director, sales, UK & Ireland Catherine Powell.
Based on the Columbian telenovela Betty La Fea, Betty the Ugly is a quirky one hour comedy series executive produced by award-winning actress Salma Hayek and Silvio Horta.
The show follows Betty Suarez (America Ferrera), a seemingly plain, but intelligent and hard-working, secretary at fashion magazine “Mode”. Between her boss Daniel and herself, neither of them knows the ins and outs of the fashion world, but together they‘re a formidable team against the label-wearing sharks who will do anything to see them fail.
Actress Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) stars in the drama series, Brothers & Sisters. Flockhart stars alongside Rachel Griffiths Six Feet Under and Ron Rifkin Alias in this drama from producer Ken Olin Alias and Jon Robin Baitz, one of Broadway‘s most prominent playwrights.
As the adult children of William Walker, along with their respective families, gather to celebrate Kitty‘s birthday, little do they know that, on this day, their lives will take a dramatic turn.
Kitty‘s radio success has led to a TV pundit job in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend in New York has just proposed. Thomas has joined forces with his sister, Sarah, a high powered executive and mother of three, in an effort to fix the family business. Kevin‘s well-ordered life is shaken by the news that his ex-wife is moving his adolescent son to Texas. Justin, a Gulf War vet, has kicked nicotine, but other addiction‘s keep him from moving forward in his career and love life.
These siblings are about to find out that underneath the idyllic family facade lie many secrets that threaten to either tear the family apart or bring them closer together.
Ford said, “We are delighted to have secured the rights to these much sought after series that confirm C4‘s commitment to the best of US drama.”
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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.
