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DD’s DTH expansion will not need new satellite
NEW DELHI: Doordarshan will not need to shift to another satellite for augmenting its DD Direct Plus DTH platform to 150 channels in the first phase by the end of this year.
DD sources told indiantelevision.com that efforts were on to increase the capacity of the existing transponders and, thus, DD may at the most need one more transponder on the same satellite – Insat 4A.
Early last month, Prasar Bharati approved the expansion to 250 channels, encouraged by the success of the e-auction of the slots on the free-to-air DD Direct Plus. This will be done in two stages: 150 channels by December 2011 and another 100 channels in the next calendar year. This figure includes the slots for which e-auctions were held.
Doordarshan recently e-auctioned and allotted 26 slots to private broadcasters on DD Direct Plus, bringing in Rs 630 million. This is more than three times the amount generated before migrating to the e-auction mechanism two months ago (charging Rs 8 million per slot).
Meanwhile, the sources said that the existing 54 channels including the ones that are on air and the ones for which auctions have been held will remain on MPEG 2, and the rest of the 96 channels will be on MPEG 4. Thus any subscriber wanting the channels that are on MPEG 4 will have to buy a new set-top box, which will cost around Rs 1200 and will be compatible for both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4.
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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.
