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TV revenue sees fastest growth in communications sector: Ofcom
MUMBAI: Global communications sector revenues, the total of TV, radio, telecom and post sectors, grew in 2011 by 3.7 per cent to touch ?1,322 billion, according to a report by UK media watchdog Ofcom.
In terms of percentage growth, television revenues grew fastest among the communications industries, by 6.6 per cent in 2011 to ?258 billion.
Global advertising expenditure grew by 3.8 per cent in 2011 to ?298 billion, the highest total spend since 2007. While expenditure on internet advertising grew at a compound annual rate of 16 per cent between 2007 and 2011 to ?48 billion, the compound annual growth rate of newspaper advertising was in the negative at 6.9 per cent to drop to ?60 billion, while for magazines it was a 6.8 per cent fall to ?28 billion.
In the television and radio sectors, subscriptions generated the largest and fastest-growing proportion of total revenues in 2011. Television subscription revenues grew by 10.5 per cent in 2011 to ?133 billion and at a compound annual rate of nine per cent between 2007 and 2011. Radio subscription revenues grew by 12.5 per cent in 2011 to ?2 billion and at a compound annual rate of 8.5 per cent between 2007 and 2011.
Telecom sector generated the largest absolute rise in revenues in 2011, up by ?31 billion to ?936 billion.
The number of fixed-line voice connections remains relatively resilient in the UK, with more fixed-line voice connections per 100 people than in the other markets covered. Although this number fell between 2006 and 2011 in all of the countries which Ofcom surveyed, the fall in the UK was among the smallest. Tablet take-up is highest in Spain and Australia (it is 24 per cent in both). Italy and the US have the next-highest claimed ownership (23 per cent and 20 per cent) while in the UK take-up is 19 per cent.
In nearly all comparator countries, consumers say they have reduced face-to-face communication and fixed telephone calls with friends and family. In all eight countries, use of post declined. In contrast, preferences for online communications increased, particularly in the UK and Italy, which showed large increases in the use of email and social networking.
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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.
