Applications
Community radio to get free spectrum
NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom has been asked to issue detailed guidelines by 12 October to bring into force a decision to totally waive spectrum fee for community radio services.
Instructions to this effect have been issued by the Communications & IT Minister Kapil Sibal, following requests received from National Advisory Council, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, and the Community Radio Association.
Sibal said the Government‘s role is to create an enabling environment for CRS, and he wanted guidelines to ensure that the spectrum is optimally used and the channels use these airwaves only to inform and empower the common man.
It was felt that in the interest of inclusive and informed society, it is apt that Government provides the spectrum (airwaves) for CRS at zero cost. Although this may result in an opportunity cost of around Rs. 2.5 million to the Government, the cost is far outweighed by the benefit of informed, empowered and inclusive local communities and the nation.
The move to waive spectrum and royalty fee on community radio stations has come as a major relief for a sector that was just beginning to find its feet, with just 132 stations operational out of the 370 licenses issued by the Government.
Sustainability is the biggest challenge for CRS. Community radio focuses on low cost and low return pattern of operations. Donor funding is crucial for CRS. As most of the donors come from local communities, this financing option is inadequate and irregular for CRS operating in remote areas and for the marginalised sections of the society.
The move would help educational institutes, non-government organisations, small communities and gram panchayats – many of which had received licences but had not been able to commence operations in view of the high spectrum fee.
The government had earlier this year said it was planning to raise the spectrum fee for these stations from Rs 19,000 to Rs 93,000.
The Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) wing of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had for last nine months stopped giving clearance, leading to 166 new applicants awaiting clearance.
Applications
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.
