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Times TV channels to be available on ATN in Canada
MUMBAI: Times Television Network has finalised the distribution deal with Asian Television Network International (ATN), one of the largest South Asian broadcasters in Canada.
The deal paves way for the three channels of Times TV Network – Times Now (English news channel), ET Now (English business news channel) and Zoom (Bollywood entertainment channel) – to enter the Canadian market, which has a large base of Indian and Asian community.
As per sources, the three channels will start beaming on ATN in a couple of months, following regulatory approvals from Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). ATN expects to get the approval early next year.
Times Television Network is on an international expansion spree. It has already spread footprints in Australia, some African countries and Asian region. The company is also in talks to expand reach to the US.
Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) managing director Vineet Jain said, “ATN with expertise and market presence in Canada, built so successfully by Shan Chandrasekar, was our obvious choice as a partner. Times Television Network will now be able to serve the entertainment and news needs of the Indian diaspora residing in Canada.”
Added ATN president and CEO Shan Chandrasekar, “This association with the Times Group brought nostalgic and pleasant memories of interviewing some thirty years ago, the then managing director of BCCL Sahu Ashok Kumar Jain in Mumbai for Canadian television. Thirty years have gone by and Vineet Jain, son of Sahu Ashok Kumar Jain is now at the helm of Times Group, renders a cozy sense of continuity to this association of ATN with the Times Group.”
ATN operates for South Asian audiences 29 channels including Star India Plus, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, B4U Movies, Zee Cinema, Star Gold, Set Max, Alpha Punjabi, MH One, Jus Punjabi, Punjjabi TV, Ary Digital, B4U Music, Jaya TV , Star Vijay, ATN Gujarati, ATN Aastha, ATN Bangla, ATN Malayam, NDTV 24×7, NDTV Good Times, Cricket Plus, Neo Cricket, Star One, Star India News, Star Chinese, Star Chinese Movies 2 and Star Channel [V] Taiwan. ATN also operates Radio Channel on XM159 across North America with the latest news, sports and entertainment. ATN is the first broadcaster to deliver South Asian content on Bell Mobility.
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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.
