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Star to expand distribution in Canada
 MUMBAI : Star, the Asian media subsidiary of News Corp, which has recently launched four of its South Asian channels on Rogers Cable in Canada, is now gearing up to launch three more Mandarin-language channels later this month. The channels already available on the cable platform include Hindi general entertainment channel Star One, movie channel Star Gold, Star News and Tamil entertainment channel Star Vijay. The flagship channel Star Plus is, however, already available on ATN‘s services in Canada since 2006. |
Now the company is planning to launch three popular Mandarin channels from Star Greater China‘s
“After attracting a strong following among the Asian diaspora in the US, we‘re thrilled to partner with Rogers to launch our top-rated channels for viewers in Canada,” said Star SVP distribution, sales and marketing and Star North American and European offices head David Wisnia. “This launch marks the debut of 24-hour Star channels in Canada and makes Star the largest provider of foreign television services to Rogers‘ viewers.” The channels will be available as part of Rogers‘ multicultural package offerings. “Rogers has long been committed to delivering the variety and choice of multicultural programming to Canadians,” said Rogers Cable VP TV and Video product management David Purdy. “The South Asian and Chinese communities are extremely important to us and we are pleased to be delivering even more valued content to our customers.” |
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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.
