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UK switchover almost complete with 98 per cent getting digital signals: Ofcom
MUMBAI: A total of 25.1 million households in the United Kingdom were receiving digital TV across all platforms in the fourth quarter in 2012, marking an increase of almost five per cent from the year before.
The Digital Television Update report by the British media watchdog Ofcom says digital TV is now received in 98 per cent of UK households following the completion of digital switchover last October.
A total of 75 per cent households watched TV over digital terrestrial signals in the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase of 0.5 percentage points on the fourth quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, 54 per cent households subscribed to pay TV, up by two percentage points on the same period in 2011. A total of 37 per cent households subscribed to pay satellite in the fourth quarter of 2012, the same proportion in the corresponding period in 2011. A total of 13 per cent households subscribed to cable in fourth quarter of 2012, which was the same proportion in the corresponding period in 2011.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, 3.4 per cent households had multi-channel platforms other than digital terrestrial, satellite and cable, up by 1.4 percentage points on the same period in 2011.
There were an estimated 2.12 million free-to-view digital satellite households in the fourth quarter of 2012, up from 2.04 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the survey data.
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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.
