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Cable companies can’t block Dish Network, DirecTV: FCC
MUMBAI: In an unprecedented move, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to prevent cable operators from blocking rival platforms access to their regional sports networks. In a 4:1 vote, FCC commissioners concluded that withholding regional sports programming violates the Cable Act and is anti-competitive.
Platforms like Verizon and AT&T, as well as satellite services like DirecTV and Dish have taken issue with cable giants like Comcast and Cablevision, maintaining that they have withheld their own local sports networks from rival services in a bid to gain a competitive advantage.
While federal law does require platforms to offer access to their own channels to other services at reasonable rates, there is a so-called ‘terrestrial loophole;‘ some platforms have taken the view that local feeds carried over cable lines and not over satellite can be exempt from FCC law.
Said Cablevision on the FCC ruling, “While we find the legal basis for the decision unfounded, we are pleased that the FCC recognized the value of Cablevision‘s local programming strategy and investments. Verizon and AT&T will not receive an FCC bailout that will allow them to capture News 12, MSG Varsity and other programming that we have developed for our customers.”
Verizon hailed the decision. Said Verizon‘s senior VP of federal regulatory affair Kathleen Grillo, “This is a big-time victory for television sports fans. The FCC‘s decision to make must-see regional sports programming, including high-definition feeds, presumptively available to competitors, puts viewers in the driver‘s seat. This ruling means that consumers will no longer have to stick with their incumbent cable provider in order to watch local teams in high definition.”
DirecTV also welcomed the FCC decision noting, “The FCC‘s order today eliminating the terrestrial loophole is a big win for consumers and fair competition in the marketplace.”
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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.
