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Dish TV appeals to govt against MTV, Nick
MUMBAI: Subhash Chandra’s DTH service Dish TV has upped the ante by invoking government help in getting those TV channels on board who have refused to do so till now. Dish TV’s wrath has been particularly directed at MTV and Nick with which the former has been fighting a legal battle since last year. |
In a letter to the information and broadcasting ministry, Dish TV has petitioned that despite sector regulator’s directive on making available content to all platforms and a favourable judgement from disputes tribunal TDSAT, the “conduct of MTV” has been “clearly in violation” of the interconnection regulation of 2004. Dish TV’s parent ASC Enterprises has contended despite carrying on commercial negotiations with MTV Networks India for several months, the content provider and its distributors in India (One Alliance) have stalled any fruitful conclusion of such talks. |
The Dish TV letter to the government states, “We would request you to take cognizance of the consistent refusal of MTV Networks to provide the channels, MTV and Nick, on our DTH platform and non-compliance of the interconnect regulation of Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) The government while acknowledging the letter from Dish said it hasn’t taken a view on the issue yet. In a related development, an executive of Dish TV said it will be “placing the execution appeal” at the TDSAT within few days. ASC Enterprises, the DTH licence holder for Dish TV, had moved TDSAT in 2005 against MTV’s refusal to provide its channels for the DTH platform. MTV Networks appealed against the TDSAT order in the Supreme Court, which admitted the appeal, but did not stay the disputes tribunal’s order. During the last hearing on 9 May, the apex court said the case would be taken up again on 12 July after the summer recess. Dish TV has also moved the TDSAT against Star India on similar grounds of noncompliance of interconnect regulations. |
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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.
