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BBC unveils integrated multiplatform structure
MUMBAI: Jana Bennett has confirmed the new management structure for BBC Vision’s multiplatform division.
Following the announcement that Simon Nelson is to step down as BBC Vision controller, portfolio and multiplatform next month, Bennett has restructured the management team who will report to her, to ensure television and multiplatform are streamlined into a more integrated working relationship.
The UK pubcaster is re-shaping all its websites into five product portfolios (combining technology and editorial). Although the exact scale of the BBC’s future online investment will be determined later this year by the Trust, in their response to Putting Quality First, it has been agreed that BBC Vision will take the editorial lead for two of the five key product portfolios in the new-look BBC Online.
As of 15 November, all current Vision multiplatform activity will become fully integrated into one of three areas under single points of overall editorial leadership.
BBC director of archive content Roly Keating will take charge of a new “broadcast” portfolio that combines his current responsibilities with editorial and strategic leadership of the TV & iPlayer product, implementation of Vision’s strategies for IPTV, BBC Red Button and syndication and management of the scheduling and content release teams. He will also continue to represent Vision on the Online Direction Group.
BBC controller of knowledge commissioning George Entwistle will lead the Knowledge and Learning product portfolio on BBC Online and other platforms.
He will build on the established success of brands such as Bitesize and Wildlife Finder and focus on even greater integration between Knowledge and Learning.
Vision Productions chief creative officer Pat Younge will take responsibility for integrating all Vision’s other online and multiplatform activity into Vision Productions – including day-to-day content creation in the programme and genre areas.
There will also continue to be clear points of contact for indie suppliers. Bennett said, “We are moving into a new era of rapid convergence. With the launch of YouView and other IPTV platforms, the re-shaping of BBC Online and the implementation of exciting new BBC strategies for Learning and Archive, we have to ensure that Vision’s management is set up to be able to manage this in the best way possible.
“Our aim is to create empowered production and genre teams with the skills to create and publish great content across multiple platforms. The training that is being set up in association with the BBC Academy alongside changes to the management structures should allow us to do just that”.
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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.
