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Pharos to have a presence at BroadcastAsia
Pharos will attend Broadcast Asia for the first time and showcase the latest in integrated content management, multi-channel automation and control. With over 10 years experience, Pharos is now the UK market leader in desktop content management and workflow for broadcasters and service providers in television, radio and new media platforms such as VoD, mobile and IPTV.
Pharos Mediator is a high performance platform for media management and desktop workflow. Mediator offers greater efficiency in multi-channel, multi-platform and multi-site broadcast by unifying workflow and operations under a single enterprise with browse at every desktop. Mediator integrates library management, ingest, QC, compliance, post production and playout providing end-to-end web based desktop operations.
Mediator offers a number of advantages for the complex distribution requirements in Asia. Diverse international target markets often require multi-language audio and subtitles and Mediator provides the most efficient end to end workflow for these environments.
New: Enhanced Workflows for Promotions and Channel Branding Pharos Mediator now integrates a wider range of post production and graphics systems to provide a more efficient workflow for series and channel promotions production. Apple Final Cut Pro, Quantel and Avid can be combined using Mediator workflow, transcoding and transfer management. Mediator browse is used for shot selection from anywhere in the system including library, online and archive. This can be passed directly to post production for editing, enabling more promotions to be produced within existing post production infrastructures. Additional programming can be delivered more efficiently for new multi-language, HD, IPTV, VoD, interactive and mobile services. Mediator can manage promotions in parallel with compliance and multi-language operations to provide a very efficient approvals process. Mediator compliance and promotions workflows based around Final Cut Pro will used throughout the show.
Pharos Mediator Compliance Workflows is a new option for Mediator and provides streamlined workflows to manage both technical and editorial compliance which is often a key requirement for broadcasters and service providers in Asian markets. Content can be assessed frame-accurately for technical QC and problem content can be passed for technical correction or referred to a media supervisor.
Content likely to offend target audiences can be flagged with frame-accurate markers and comments using Mediator browse, and then passed directly for editing. Compliance decisions can now be made in conjunction with the advanced schedule, channel region or watershed restrictions for multichannel operations. Specific audience and channel watershed times can also be flagged in advance by Mediator to compliance operators by downloading the schedule into Mediator.
Using Pharos Mediator Browse and metadata at the desktop for compliance operations offers significant time-saving over stand-alone NLE, tape or DVD based operations. Mediator can manage compliance and parallel promotions and multi-language operations to provide a very efficient workflow. Managing compliance within Mediator workflows reduces errors or mistakes which can result in delays and penalties for broadcasters and service providers working internationally. Mediator also provides a complete audit trail for all compliance editing so that recurring problems can be reviewed and changes to compliance procedures can be implemented in a controlled manner.
Pharos Mediator now offers improved management of the transmission approval process. Mediator will inform producers and channel managers of new material such as edits and promos awaiting their approval. This is a significant requirement in Asian markets where international and multicultural content often needs approval by specific producers and channel managers who are familiar with the target language and styles; Mediator ensures that the right content is sent to the correct manager for approval.
Channel managers can view, review and approve the new clips using Mediator browse or in high resolution. The workflow history of any new material is available during approval. Mediator offers an audit trail of approvals so that any errors or mistakes can be identified and rectified. A more efficient and secure desktop approvals process using Mediator helps scale up operations for channel expansion and handles the additional workload for IPTV and mobile services. Managing approvals within Mediator reduces errors or mistakes which can result in delays and penalties for broadcasters and service providers.
Pharos delivers better workflow management to broadcasters and service providers in television, radio, IPTV and telecommunications. For 10 years Pharos has continually developed the unique Mediator, Playtime and Pilot desktop broadcast management solutions. Pharos workflow offers greater efficiency for library management, ingest, quality control, storage management, archival, transcoding, post production and playout.
Pharos solutions offer a next-generation platform to better manage multiformat content and enable rapid expansion in playout, presentation and publishing. Pharos software architecture, integration and support services enable disparate broadcast and IT processes to be unified across the enterprise.
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.
