Channel 4 readies online TV service
Broadcaster to simulcast shows on TV and the net
Channel 4 has announced plans to show streamed live versions of its home-grown programmes on the internet at the same time as they are broadcast beginning next week.
The channel will begin broadcasting on the internet from June 27 to attract younger viewers who expect entertainment to be available in a variety of ways.
It will not include imported shows like Lost or Desperate Housewives, but Channel 4 offers a pay-per-view service for viewers to catch up on US shows.
In a lecture delivered at London’s Banqueting Hall, chief executive Andy Duncan says the digital revolution is a fantastic opportunity.
‘We need to build on what Channel 4 has always done but the difference is we are doing it in more ways than just via broadcast these days, because we have to engage with the public wherever they are,’ he said.
The internet broadcasts will carry the same adverts as on TV but it has plans to sell advertising space in the future.
The service will be follow by a video-on-demand version of its FilmFour offering.
The move brings the broadcaster into line with the BBC, which is currently showing World Cup games on TV and the internet, and ITV, which announced it would show programmes on broadband up to 30 days after first transmission.
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Further reading
Channel 4 online radio hits the airwaves