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NDTV 24×7 to become FTA in Cas areas
NEW DELHI: English news channel NDTV 24×7 is to be converted into a free to air (FTA) channel in the Cas-notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata from The channel, which is already FTA in Chennai, is a pay channel in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. NDTV 24×7 is distributed by the Set-Discovery One Alliance distribution bouquet. |
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today issued an order to this effect, thus updating their earlier press releases, placing the details of Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) fixed by the broadcasters in respect of Cas areas on the basis of the reporting done by them in terms of clause 7 (ii) of the Trai Order of 31 August, last year. |
The Trai press release said that the change had been made as the Authority had been informed subsequent to issuing its Tariff Order, that the channel, which was then encrypted, would be made free-to-air in some of the notified areas. Detailing the reasons for the move, an NDTV spokesperson told indiantelevision.com that the channel is a “pay channel everywhere in the country except in the Cas regions”. The spokesperson explained also that CAS area viewers account for less than five per cent of the total viewers in the nation. Seeding of boxes, the spokesperson argued, has been much slower than anticipated, partly due to shortage of boxes and partly due to lower demand than expected. “Seeding of boxes is so slow that it is less than 10 per cent in Kolkata, less than 15 per cent in Delhi and 20-25 per cent in Mumbai. “This means that 80-90 per cent of homes in the CAS areas do not get pay channels. It makes business and journalistic sense to go free to air for a short period and go back to “pay” when there are more boxes seeded in the CAS areas, the spokesperson concluded. |
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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.
