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BBC to roll out several measures for growth of digital radio
MUMBAI: BBC‘s director of audio and music Tim Davie has announced a range of measures to support digital radio.
Speaking at the Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference, he outlined BBC activity that will support the Government‘s Digital Radio Action Plan.
BBC intends to significantly improve DAB coverage and add 61 national DAB transmitters by mid-2011. This will increase the BBC‘s in-home coverage to at least 92 per cent of the UK population (from approx 85% currently); provide good in-car coverage for around 93 per cent of the UK‘s motorway network from 83 per cent; and include four new transmitters to achieve FM-equivalent coverage level of around 99 per cent population and road coverage within the M25 from around 89 per cent.
Evaluating ways the BBC might find funding to fill in all of the major gaps in UK motorway coverage to broadly match current FM stereo coverage.
Creating a plan to improve the impact of the BBC‘s digital radio portfolio, using the proposed relaunch of Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra as an example of how closer links to analogue networks and new editorial ideas could lead to a stronger portfolio.
BBC will offer its research & development expertise to work with the sector to tackle the biggest technical issues facing the industry, such as aftermarket in-car DAB radios.
There is a plan to increase funding in marketing for digital radio platforms – DAB, DTV and online. This includes
committing to running at least two large-scale campaigns supporting digital radio each year, increasing as and when switchover approaches; and ensuring that digital-only services receive a bigger share of total marketing activity.
BBC will launch later this year the Radioplayer – a single online console that will offer all UK radio in one place. More details regarding this are to be announced over the coming weeks.
Davie said, “These announcements mean that more licence fee payers will have access to the full range of BBC services and enjoy the benefits of digital radio.”
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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.
