Applications
Viacom in spat with Cablevision over fees
MUMBAI: More than three million Cablevision customers may start 2013 without receiving 17 Viacom cable network channels as a result of the two parties‘ dispute over programming fees, The New York Post reported.
The channel network and cable operator‘s five-year deal expires on 31 December and the former is now demanding an increase in fees in the renewed contract.
Viacom‘s argument is that it accounts for 20 per cent of viewing but only eight per cent of Cablevision‘s overall programming fees, according to the publication.
Earlier this year, Viacom was involved in a similar spat with DirecTV‘s which caused the operator‘s 20 million customers to lose Viacom‘s channels for nine days in July. The two parties were forced to reconcile after extensive discontent among viewers. Both sides suffered from the prolonged blackout, with Viacom losing ad revenue and DirecTV shedding subscribers. Its dispute over distribution fees with the Tribune Co. lasted more than two months and deprived customers in New York of local station WPIX 11.
Viacom has been investing in programming to boost flagging ratings at its youth-oriented channels, home to popular shows such as "Teen Mom," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "SpongeBob Squarepants."
Applications
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.
