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NBC Universal laughs with broadband comedy channel
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBC Universal has launched a comedy broadband channel DotComedy at www.dotcomedy.com. |
NBC Universal Cable Entertainment president Jeff Gaspin says, “The launch of this new digital brand is an important milestone for us. NBC Universal has built a great history of comedy from late-night to ‘must-see TV.‘ DotComedy is a digital extension in the same tradition. Comedy is one of the most successful genres on the web and this broadband channel will appeal to the advertisers‘ targeted demos.” The focus of the programming on the new channel will be original, web-exclusive material developed specifically for DotComedy. The broadband channel will also feature content from NBC‘s legendary late-night shows, including the first ten years of David Letterman‘s late night career – NBC‘s Late Night with David Letterman along with Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O‘Brien. Sitcom fans will find vintage material mined from the NBC Universal television library, featuring the HBO series Dream On, Leave It To Beaver, The Munsters, Coach and Significant Others. DotComedy will also be home to a wide selection of stand-up, sketch material and viral videos. |
Additionally, DotComedy will give users an opportunity to showcase their own comedic talents by providing them with a virtual stage on which the site will feature user-generated content |
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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.
