ITV4

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ITV4
Launched	November 1, 2005
Owned by	ITV plc
Audience share	0.5% (February 2007, [1])
Website	www.itv.com/itv4
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview	Channel 28
Satellite
Sky Digital	Channel 120
Cable
Virgin Media	Channel 117

ITV4 is a UK television station which launched on November 1, 2005. The ITV plc channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action series of the 1960s and '70s. The channel has an annual budget of just £15m, compared to £900 - 1000m for ITV1.

ITV4 is broadcast on Freeview, digital cable and satellite television. It was expected that ITV4 would replace the existing Men & Motors channel, until ITV plc stated that the two channels would run alongside each other. Both channels were on Freeview until ITV plc took Men & Motors off Freeview (although it remained on other platforms) and replaced it with the live quiz channel ITV Play. (which has now been taken off air and replaced with ITV2+1) Some programming from M&M was transferred to ITV4.

ITV4's launch night aired on Freeview channel 30. Although it was broadcast on the Astra 2 satellites used by Sky, so users could manually tune it in, it launched on Sky Digital channel 120, after ITV2 and ITV3 in the listings, on 7 November. Prior to this date, some sporting content was simulcast on Men & Motors in an ITV4 on M&M strand. ITV4 broadcasts between 6pm and 6am, with space on Freeview being used by the CITV Channel for the other 12 hours of the day, however, CITV may have to close early if ITV4 broadcasts sporting programmes that begin before 6pm.

ITV4 was the first channel to launch the new on-screen look that rolled out across the rest of ITV plc's channels on January 16, 2006. Red Bee Media designed the new logos and presentation for the entire corporation that saw the end of the yellow and blue squared look designed for ITV1, ITV2 and the cube look for ITV3 with the sharp font.

ITV plc had hoped ITV4 would compete with Channel 4's third channel, More4, despite the latter's larger £33m budget. ITV4 has occasionally beaten More4 in the ratings.

[edit] Some programmes shown on ITV4

• Clerks: The Animated Series
• Dream On
• Haunted
• LAPD: Life On the Beat
• The Larry Sanders Show
• Married... with Children
• Martial Law
• Police, Camera, Action!
• Saturday Night Live
• 3rd Rock from the Sun

In addition to these shows, a number of hits from the ITC catalogue are shown, such as The Saint and The Persuaders!.

Sporting coverage includes the UEFA Champions League, live boxing, Tour de France and the World Poker Tour.

ITV4 used to air the Late Show with David Letterman from the 1st November 2005 until it was dropped by ITV4 on the 27th October 2006 and replaced with Saturday Night Live from 4th November 2006.

[edit] External links

• ITV4 at itv.com