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BBC, 4 Digital Group confirm their commitment to develop digital radio
MUMBAI: BBC Radio and the 4 Digital Group have confirmed their commitment to develop digital radio in the UK.
The two parties said they intended to look at ways of encouraging more rapid consumer take-up of digital radio and developing the available technology to secure a successful future for DAB. |
Signalling their joint commitment to continue to develop DAB as a key platform for the future of digital radio, BBC Audio and Music director Jenny Abramsky and 4 Digital Group chairman Nathalie Schwarz issued a joint statement: |
| “Rajar‘s figures last week showed that listening to digital radio grew for the fourth quarter running and that DAB listening has topped 100 million hours. The DRDB also reported a substantial increase in sales of DAB sets before Christmas and forecast that household penetration would grow to 30 per cent in 2008. “It is clear to us that Dab has an exciting future in a fast converging UK media industry. The BBC and 4 Digital Group are committed to digital radio long term and both believe that working together, and with the rest of the radio industry, is vital if we are to secure the UK‘s position in the forefront of digital radio development. “We want to work together to make the very best of UK radio available to everyone, while continuing to compete to provide the very best audio content that will be the primary means of ensuring the success of digital radio in the years to come.” In the first instance, the BBC and 4 Digital Group are exploring the technological innovations made possible by DAB, from interactive exchange between listener and broadcaster and EPG-based services, including programme storage, to text and image-based services that offer programme information, pictures, sports results and local news and weather. 4 Digital Group is the consortium that won the licence from Ofcom to run the second national commercial DAB multiplex in June last year. Led by Channel 4 Radio, it brings together a formidable multi-media alliance comprising some of the biggest names in radio, television, publishing, retail, technical expertise The 4 Digital Group Shareholders are Channel 4 Radio, H Bauer (formerly EMAP Digital Radio Limited), UTV Radio (GB) Limited, BSkyB, The Carphone Warehouse Group plc and UBC Media Group plc. |
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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.
