Applications
‘Desperate Housewives’ creator Marc Cherry to deliver keynote at Pitchcon 2012
MUMBAI: Natpe||Content First has announced that Marc Cherry has been confirmed as the Keynote speaker for PitchCon 2012, which is slated for 7-8 June.
Cherry, the creator and executive producer of ‘Desperate Housewives‘, will participate in a one-on-one keynote conversation on 7 June, discussing his path to success and providing insight for conference attendees, most of which are emerging and established independent producers.
Natpe senior VP marketing Beth Braen said, “It is truly a pleasure to have Marc Cherry serve as PitchCon’s Keynote speaker this year and a fitting opportunity to reflect on his tremendous success to date as the eighth and final season of ‘Desperate Housewives’ comes to a close. This is a fantastic opportunity for attendees to hear directly from one of the industry’s best about what it takes to succeed in this business.”
From his days as a writer on ‘Golden Girls‘ to ‘Desperate Housewives‘ and now onward to a new show he has in development for ABC called ‘Devious Maids‘, Cherry will share his perspective on the past, present and future of the content business.
Meanwhile, Natpe is working with entertainment studio and distributor My Damn Channel on a contest exclusively for PitchCon attendees called “Get Your Video On!” My Damn Channel is currently accepting submissions for original comedy videos, which will be reviewed by My Damn Channel’s creative team and other top industry leaders.
The winning video, which will be announced during the closing PitchCon Innovator Award luncheon honoring “The Glee Project” on 8 June, will appear on one of My Damn Channel’s widely viewed web locations and may be developed by My Damn Channel as a web series. The contest, which is being spearheaded by My Damn Channel director of content and executive producer Jesse Cowell, has been launched and the deadline for all submissions is 1 June.
My Damn Channel, part of YouTube’s major original channels initiative, is premiering more than 30 new original comedy series in 2012, including My Damn Channel LIVE, a live, daily comedy show that airs every weekday at 4 pm ET on www.YouTube.com/MyDamnChannel and www.MyDamnChannel.com/LIVE.
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.
