Channel 4 plans over-30s channel

Friends is shown first on E4 before airing on Channel 4

Terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 is to launch a free digital station, aiming it at a 30-something audience.

Provisionally called More4, its should appear on digital terrestrial platform Freeview by early 2005.

"It definitely will not just be a factual channel. It will have entertainment shows as well," said a Channel 4 spokesman.

The digital channel will initially have a modest budget, showing archive shows and repeats, thought to include Channel 4's successful lifestyle shows such as Location, Location, Location and Property Ladder.

But bosses hope that in time the amount of money available for original programming will increase.

Channel 4's current digital and cable offshoot E4 is entertainment led, aimed at 16 to 34-year-olds, and was launched in 2001, with £40m of investment.

New episodes

E4 now carries a lot of "event programming" such as Big Brother and The Salon, dedicating hours of live footage to the shows during the day.

It also runs new episodes of popular American shows, such as Friends, The West Wing and Dawson's Creek, before they are shown on Channel 4.

Freeview was launched to replace the collapsed ITV Digital, and provides up to 30 channels for the cost of the £99 set-top box, with no subscription fee to pay.

Services available on include all the BBC channels, ITV 2, Sky News and shopping channels QVC and TV Travel Shop, as well as numerous radio stations.