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Sun18 channels go dark on Digicable
MUMBAI: Digicable subscribers have stopped getting the 46 channels distributed by Sun18 North but negotiations are on to resume the service.
Effectively, channels like Colors, CNN IBN, CNBC TV18, Sun TV and Hungama will not be available to all Digicable subscribers in Central, North, West and East India. Sun18 North distributes channels from Viacom18, Network18, Sun TV Network and Disney.
Sun18 North said it had to take the harsh step following non-payment of subscription fees and breach of agreement by Digicable.
A senior Digicable official, however, said the carriage fee issue is part of the dispute.
Sun18 had given Digicable a 21-day notice to settle the delayed subscription payments, failing which it would black out the channels. The deadline ended on 12th April.
Sun18 North COO Gaurav Gandhi said that while conversations have been on, the channels are still switched off. “The issue has not been sorted out and all our channels remain switched off as we speak on Digicable network across Central, North, West and East India.”
The commercial dispute is expected to be settled within the next four days.
“Digicable wants its carriage terms to be revised but Sun18 is resisting as it has a three-year deal with the multi-system operator. The dispute should be resolved by Tuesday,” a source familiar with the development said.
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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.
