Applications
Mobile TV industry group OMVC to integrate functions within Nab
MUMBAI: The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), which has served as the principal proponent for Mobile Television since 2007, has announced that it will integrate functions with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
Effective 1 January, key functions currently coordinated by the OMVC executive director, including OMVC’s technical groups, advocacy efforts and marketing activities, will be integrated into the Nab.
Anne P. Schelle, who has served as OMVC’s executive director since shortly after it began, said: “The purpose of the OMVC was to help develop a Mobile TV standard, create an ecosystem for broadcasters, manufacturers and other interested parties and to encourage device development. We’ve done that, and with the recent launch of Dyle mobile TV, operated by a consortium of broadcasters known as the Mobile Content Venture, and similar activities by the Mobile500 Alliance, Mobile TV is available in more than 35 US markets covering some 55 percent of the population. Integration with the NAB is the logical next step as the commercialisation of Mobile TV enters its next exciting phase”.
Nab president, CEO Gordon Smith applauded the OMVC’s work and pledged the association’s full support for building further momentum for Mobile TV.
“The NAB is honored to assume the duties carried out so successfully by the OMV. Through the joint efforts of the OMVC, ATSC and innumerable technical groups, the groundwork has been laid for an exciting new TV experience delivered to mobile devices . The NAB, as the voice of the broadcast industry, is the perfect home for this activity as it blossoms into the next great U.S. technology story”.
Building on her OMVC leadership and accomplishments, Schelle will continue her Mobile TV evangelism as a senior policy consultant to the Nab to help assure a smooth transition.
“Mobile TV is a key part of broadcasters’ future, and the power of the NAB will enable the industry to speak with one voice, to continue our advocacy efforts before the FCC and Congress and to significantly expand the reach of Mobile TV services for American TV viewers. I look forward to working hard to keep the momentum going, while collaborating with the talented NAB staff, Television Board and broad membership on the transition,” Schelle said.
Mobile TV, based on the ATSC A/153 broadcast standard, transmits live local news, sports, entertainment and emergency information to a wide variety of mobile devices. By delivering popular video programming to a large audience over existing broadcast spectrum, Mobile TV helps to reduce congestion on less efficient wireless broadband networks.
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.
