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BBC in 3G mobile syndication trial with Orange, Vodafone and 3
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has started a trial to syndicate a range of its television channels and radio networks via 3G to mobile phones with mobile operators Orange, Vodafone and 3. The trial, which will last up to 12 months, will allow subscribers to Orange, Vodafone and 3‘s TV packages to watch BBC One, BBC News 24 and BBC Three (with the exception of some sport and acquired programmes) streamed on their mobiles. |
They will also be able to listen to up to eight radio stations including Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2. The trial will start this month. BBC director of future media and Technology Ashley Highfield said: “By making a range of television channels and radio networks available to 3G mobile phone subscribers, we hope to test not only the effectiveness of 3G as a means of distribution, but also how audiences respond to the BBC‘s linear services on their mobiles. The findings, combined with quantitative and qualitative consumer research, will inform the BBC‘s future mobile strategy.” BBC Controller of Business Strategy Richard Halton said, “The BBC constantly aims to make its content available to as many people in as many ways as possible. “The mobile platform is a great opportunity for us to reach existing users in a new way and connect better with people who are not currently big users of the BBC. “The BBC believes that mobile content is an important part of the broadcasting landscape and is looking at ways in which mobile devices will shape services of the future for licence fee payers. “To this end, the BBC will be undertaking extensive and unique research into consumer behaviour and experience throughout the 3G mobile syndication trial. To date we have done relatively little consumer research in this area, and it will provide us with a detailed insight into consumer behaviour.” |
Separately, the BBC has also launched an enhanced version of bbc.co.uk/mobile, which is available to all mobile phones with browsers capable of displaying XHTML pages. Users will benefit from improved navigation and design, with scope in the future for additional functionality. The enhanced service also includes a redesigned BBC Weather which features Radio 4‘s The Shipping Forecast. Internet users accessing the BBC on their mobile phones and other high-tech gadgets racked up almost 90 million page views, according to the latest figures. Total page views for the Wap and PDA versions of bbc.co.uk were in excess of 84 million in January 2007. Mobile usage of the BBC‘s website has grown 100 per cent year-on-year over the last three years and these figures show the trend continuing. |
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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.
