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FCC favours a la carte choice to consumers on cable
MUMBAI: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin J Martin favours programming network on an a la carte basis and digital must-carry at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association‘s (NCTA) annual convention in Las Vegas on Monday. A la carte service would offer the customer the choice to purchase the channels that they want when they subscribe to cable. |
Martin felt the issue was increasingly important since the price for “expanded basic” cable has doubled since 1996. The cable industry opposes a la carte because it says it would limit diversity, reduce viewing choices, and increase consumer costs. The FCC commissioner supported the digital transition because the broadcasters say the channels aren‘t viable without cable carriage. He added that the multicast channels would be a benefit to consumers from the digital transition. Martin said the issue of a la carte has become important as expanded basic cable rates have almost doubled in the last 10 years. |
NCTA president and CEO Kyle McSlarrow rejected the idea and said it contradicted another government suggestion that cable companies should offer multiple digital signals from broadcasters, known as “multicasting.” Martin did praise the cable industry for providing broadband internet access on a mass scale and for creating competition in the phone business and noted he opposed regulation of broadband, including net neutrality rules, and urged that broadband services should not be subject of franchise fees or universal service fees. He also promised an open dialogue with the industry. “I can promise you a fair hearing, serious consideration and above all, a lively debate,” he said. Kyle McSlarrow appreciated that the FCC recognised some of the cable achievements but felt that they “still have a difference of opinion” on some issues. Questioning Martin‘s logic, McSlarrow said that in the case of a la carte, Martin favoured dismantling the cable bundle of channels, while on cable must-carry, he wanted channels to be added. McSlarrow added as a privately financed business, cable should not be mandated by government to offer networks a la carte but by free market. NCTA spokesman Brian Dietz said ‘expanded basic‘ prices may have doubled but the package now includes about 70 channels, up from 45 in 1996. NCTA estimates the number of customers using digital phone service from cable companies to have grown from 1.5 million in 2001 to 9.5 million in 2006. |
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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.
