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Tamil Nadu to nationalise cable TV
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa‘s government today announced that private cable television will be ‘nationalised‘ in the state, a move that is expected to hit the Maran family-run SCV that has a near monopoly in the state‘s cable business.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( AIADMK) government has also decided to revive the nearly defunct state-run Arasu Cable Corp (ACC).
The government, in its address to the new legislative assembly, said it intends to nationalise the cable TV network in the state. Cable TV services will now be provided by the Arasu corporation, set up by DMK chief M Karunanidhi when he fell out with the Marans. The nationalisation will, however, not affect the last mile operator, the state government clarified.
In an address to the newly constituted State Assembly aimed at spelling out the policies of the AIADMK government, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said in Chennai today that the Arasu Cable TV Corporation, which had been started by the Karunanidhi Government but later wound up, would be revived. The government will revive “its activities and nationalise the private cable TV activities in the state”.
Barnala said that the government had decided to ‘nationalise‘ private cable TV services without affecting the business of last mile operators in the state.
Arasu TV was started in July 2008 when M Karunanidhi family’s
relationship with the Marans had soured, but became dormant after the patch-up between the families.
This is Jayalalitha’s second attempt to nationalise the cable TV operations in the state. In January 2006, the AIADMK government had moved the Tamil Nadu Acquisition, Transfer and Taking Over of the Administration of Cable Television Network (including Multiple Service Optical Transport System) Bill, 2006. The target, then too, was seen to be SCV. But this Bill could not be approved as the Government fell.
Barnala said there had been an “overwhelming demand” from the public for revival of Arasu Cable TV Corporation and government would do so “in public interest.”
The nationalisation of cable TV business was one of the promises made by the AIADMK in the 13 April Assembly polls.
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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.
