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bbc.co.uk spends ?110 million in 2007-08
MUMBAI: The spend on bbc.co.uk was ?110 milion in 2007-08, 48 per cent higher than the service licence baseline budget, revealed a review of bbc.co.uk by the BBC Trust. | |||
According to the review, most of this increase was not overspend, but the misallocation of ?24.9 million in overheads and costs to other budgets within the BBC, representing poor financial accountability. The Trust revised the baseline budget on completion of the review to reflect the true cost of the service. Separately, the Trust asked the BBC executive to propose a new system of management controls for bbc.co.uk to address the weaknesses uncovered during the review. The Trust set approval of these plans as a pre-requisite for its future consideration of any new investment in bbc.co.uk. At its meeting on 16 July, the Trust approved the BBC executive‘s proposals for a new system of management controls. This followed earlier detailed scrutiny by one of the Trust‘s sub-committees and its recommendation that the new controls would ensure better financial accountability and editorial and managerial oversight of bbc.co.uk to the benefit of licence fee payers. The Trust will review the effectiveness of the new management structure within a year of its implementation. The executive informed Trustees that in light of the service review conclusions, it is currently reconsidering the timetable for applications to the Trust for approval of new investment in the service. The Trust has not approved any new investment in bbc.co.uk at this time. |
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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.
