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SES secures contract with Channel 4 on Astra 1N
MUMBAI: SES SA, the European direct-to-home (DTH) satellite operator, has secured a new long-term contract with Channel 4 in the UK to provide additional capacity on its recently launched Astra 1N spacecraft.
Channel 4 already has three transponders under contract at SES‘s 28.2EsEast orbital slot.
The new capacity on Astra 1N will be used to transmit Channel 4‘s main high-definition (HD) service together with further HD services over the coming years.
Channel 4 CTO broadcast and distribution Kevin Burrows said, “HDTV is an essential part of our channel line-up going forward and this new capacity will enable us to provide our viewers with Channel 4‘s portfolio of HD services. We have a long-running and very successful relationship with SES that is based on the company‘s understanding of our business, its excellent level of reliability and its technical expertise. For us, SES was a natural choice when it came to expanding our broadcast capacity.”
SES will bring into service three new satellites at 28.2EsEast from 2012 to 2014, ASTRA 2F, 2E and 2G, providing additional capacity and greater back-up, together with more power and operational flexibility, for its customers in the UK and Ireland.
Channel 4 was founded in 1982 as a public service broadcaster and reaches more than 35 million viewers each week. Its HD service will be delivered to Sky and Freesat households, representing over 12 million UK homes.
SES chief commercial officer Ferdinand Kayser added, “We have worked closely with Channel 4 for the past seven years and are delighted that Channel 4 has renewed their confidence in SES. Our new agreement is further proof of the strong demand for new HD services in the UK market.”
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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.
