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Cablevision‘s proposal on retransmission to FCC
MUMBAI: Cablevision Systems has filed a proposal in the Federal Communications Commission‘s (FCC) proceeding on retransmission consent reform to protect consumers from programming blackouts by implementing three simple reforms in the retransmission consent process.
The proposal came in comments submitted in response to the FCC‘s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on retransmission consent.
Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge said, “We are pleased the FCC has initiated this important proceeding, and have proposed three simple market-based reforms to the good faith negotiations rules that will protect consumers from the threat of broadcaster blackouts. As the FCC and Congress know, consumers are the ones who are harmed when broadcasters pull or threaten to pull their networks from cable systems.”
Implementing Cablevision‘s proposal clearly falls within the FCC‘s authority to reform the good faith negotiations rules and would protect consumers by avoiding blackouts of “must see” programming delivered over spectrum granted by the government for use in the public interest.
The three key reforms proposed in Cablevision‘s filing to the FCC are:
Forbid tying – end the practice of requiring the carriage of unrelated cable channels, owned by broadcasters, in order to also carry their broadcast networks. This practice has allowed broadcasters, who enjoy free spectrum and other advantages, to raise consumer costs by forcing carriage of their channels of limited interest in exchange for access to major broadcast networks and “must see” programming.
Require transparency – end the practice of allowing broadcasters to keep their prices for carrying broadcast stations secret. Retransmission fees should be public.
Forbid discrimination – allow broadcasters to continue to set the price of carriage, but do not allow them to discriminate among cable and satellite providers based on size or other factors.
“The days of secret pricing that, among other things, requires
consumers to pay for additional cable channels before they can receive a broadcast channel should come to an end. Broadcasters should not be able to keep the prices they charge hidden or to discriminate between distributors in a given market. Our simple reforms would end these practices, and we urge the FCC to consider this consumer friendly approach,” added Rutledge.
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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.
