More4
Encyclopedia
More4 is a digital television
channel, run by British
broadcaster Channel 4
, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat
and Sky, UK IPTV
broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media
and in the Republic of Ireland
cable networks including UPC
.
. More4 airs from 9:00 am until about 3:00 am. The channel's annual budget is £33 million, of which £20 million is earmarked for original programming. Peter Dale, Channel 4's current head of documentary events and the new channel's chief said it would be "television that restarts the conversation".
To encourage new viewers to try the new service, Channel 4 moved its first-run showing of The West Wing, showing season 6 and 7 back to back, from its sister digital station E4 to More4 and Without a Trace
from Channel 4
. The channel also carries (or has carried) other American imports such as The Daily Show
, Curb Your Enthusiasm
, and repeats of Channel 4 programmes including game show
Deal or No Deal
, reality TV show Brat Camp
, investigative series Dispatches
, and the controversial BodyShock
. Daytime content includes classic films and reruns of shows such as Hill Street Blues
and ER
.
The channel also carries Morgan Spurlock
's reality TV show 30 Days and American dramas such as The Closer
. The channel featured a nightly discussion programme Starkey's Last Word hosted by David Starkey
during the Autumn line-up. This show was originally called The Last Word and hosted alternately by Stanley Johnson, Mark Dolan
, Hardeep Singh Kohli
and David Mitchell
and occasional special guest hosts such as Morgan Spurlock
.
On midweek days, it shows hour long and feature length documentaries including Channel 4's Cutting Edge
films. On its first night, the channel led with the satirical docudrama
A Very Social Secretary about the affair between David Blunkett
, the former British Home Secretary
, and Kimberly Quinn
.
In April 2006, More4 broadcast a live hypnosurgery
hernia
operation.
Having shown all five weekday editions of The Daily Show
since More4's launch, in January 2011 the channel scaled back its commitment to one episode a week in order to increase investment in its arts programming.
nature. The Daily Mail
refused to accept launch advertising for the channel on these grounds.
Advertisements starting at the end of September made it much clearer that the "adult entertainment" being offered was the 'intelligent and insightful' programming.
Viewing figures for the launch date gave More4 an average figure of 269,000 viewers, compared to E4's 296,000.
at number 13 on 13 September and after a time, ran a looping teaser trailer. More4 +1 became available on the DTT
platform on 14 December 2005. It was removed on 18 May 2006, to make way for live coverage of Big Brother, and the Freeview launch of Film4
later in the year.
While More4 is available on most cable
platforms, More4 +1 was available on Virgin Media
until 20 August 2007 when it was replaced by Channel 4 +1 across the digital television network.
Despite initial advertising and official internet communication that it would be free-to-air
on satellite television, More4 was encrypted under Sky's pay TV
scheme until May 6, 2008 when it dropped its NDS
encryption and went free-to-air. It joined the BBC and ITV's new satellite platform, Freesat
on the same day.
More4 is available to viewers in the Republic of Ireland
via Sky, Freesat and UPC Ireland
's digital service. This led to further speculation that Channel 4 would eventually launch on Sky in the Republic of Ireland, which it did in December 2006. Channel 4 has already made its other flagship channels: E4, E4+1, Film4
and Film4+1 available in Ireland via Sky, UPC Ireland
digital TV providers. Channel 4 itself is available on almost all Irish cable and MMDS systems (in some cases Channel 4 is replaced with S4C).
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
channel, run by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcaster Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
and Sky, UK IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
and in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
cable networks including UPC
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
.
Content
More4 centres around lifestyle, documentary, and arts programming, and competes with the BBC's similar offering, BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
. More4 airs from 9:00 am until about 3:00 am. The channel's annual budget is £33 million, of which £20 million is earmarked for original programming. Peter Dale, Channel 4's current head of documentary events and the new channel's chief said it would be "television that restarts the conversation".
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
from Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. The channel also carries (or has carried) other American imports such as The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, and repeats of Channel 4 programmes including game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (UK game show)
Deal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show format Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds. 1,758 shows have been aired...
, reality TV show Brat Camp
Brat Camp
Brat Camp is a reality TV show.The first season, featuring RedCliff Ascent, won an International Emmy. Subsequent seasons saw declining viewership. The American version of Brat Camp was cancelled after its one-season run, but is being aired in Canada on Slice as of early 2007...
, investigative series Dispatches
Dispatches (TV series)
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987. The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.-Awards:*...
, and the controversial BodyShock
BodyShock
BodyShock is a sensationalistic documentary series about the conditions or lives of extraordinary people. It was originally produced by redback for Channel 4 in the UK, but since September 2006, it has been carried by ArkMedia....
. Daytime content includes classic films and reruns of shows such as Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
and ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
The channel also carries Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Valentine Spurlock is an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter and journalist best known for the documentary film Super Size Me...
's reality TV show 30 Days and American dramas such as The Closer
The Closer
The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
. The channel featured a nightly discussion programme Starkey's Last Word hosted by David Starkey
David Starkey
David Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
during the Autumn line-up. This show was originally called The Last Word and hosted alternately by Stanley Johnson, Mark Dolan
Mark Dolan
Mark Dolan is an English comedian, writer and TV presenter. Dolan was born in Camden, North London, where he eventually returned and now lives with his wife and son.-Television:...
, Hardeep Singh Kohli
Hardeep Singh Kohli
Hardeep Singh Kohli is a British writer and radio and television presenter.-Background:Kohli was born in London and moved to Glasgow in Scotland when he was four. His parents came to the UK from India in the 1960s. The family's roots lie in the Punjab. His mother was a social worker, and his...
and David Mitchell
David Mitchell (actor)
David James Stuart Mitchell is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb, whom he met at Cambridge University. There they were both part of the Cambridge Footlights, of which Mitchell became President. Together the duo star in the...
and occasional special guest hosts such as Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Valentine Spurlock is an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter and journalist best known for the documentary film Super Size Me...
.
On midweek days, it shows hour long and feature length documentaries including Channel 4's Cutting Edge
Cutting Edge (Channel 4 TV series)
Cutting Edge is a British TV documentary series broadcast by Channel 4, it has been its flagship documentary series since 1990 that focuses on political and social issues.-Graham Taylor: The Impossible Job:Original airdate: 24 January 1994...
films. On its first night, the channel led with the satirical docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
A Very Social Secretary about the affair between David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
, the former British Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, and Kimberly Quinn
Kimberly Quinn
Kimberly Quinn , is an American journalist, commentator and magazine publisher and writer. Latterly the publisher of British conservative news magazine The Spectator....
.
In April 2006, More4 broadcast a live hypnosurgery
Hypnosurgery
Hypnosurgery is the term given to an operation where the patient is sedated using hypnotherapy rather than traditional anaesthetics. It is still in its experimental stages, and not often used....
hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
operation.
Having shown all five weekday editions of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
since More4's launch, in January 2011 the channel scaled back its commitment to one episode a week in order to increase investment in its arts programming.
"Adult entertainment" confusion / Channel launch
In September 2005, Channel 4 began running teaser trailers for the new station (although the name was neither mentioned nor seen in the adverts). Showing neon lettering, the teasers hinted at "adult entertainment". Some people may have been confused by the deliberate double-meaning of these trailers and mistakenly presumed the new channel would be of a pornographicPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
nature. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
refused to accept launch advertising for the channel on these grounds.
Advertisements starting at the end of September made it much clearer that the "adult entertainment" being offered was the 'intelligent and insightful' programming.
Viewing figures for the launch date gave More4 an average figure of 269,000 viewers, compared to E4's 296,000.
Availability
Space was reserved on Freeview multiplex C for the channel. However, despite Channel 4 saying that the channel would appear on multiplex C, the channel appeared on multiplex 2. A place holder appeared on the Freeview EPGElectronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
at number 13 on 13 September and after a time, ran a looping teaser trailer. More4 +1 became available on the DTT
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
platform on 14 December 2005. It was removed on 18 May 2006, to make way for live coverage of Big Brother, and the Freeview launch of Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
later in the year.
While More4 is available on most cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
platforms, More4 +1 was available on Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
until 20 August 2007 when it was replaced by Channel 4 +1 across the digital television network.
Despite initial advertising and official internet communication that it would be free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
on satellite television, More4 was encrypted under Sky's pay TV
Pay TV
Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
scheme until May 6, 2008 when it dropped its NDS
NDS Group
NDS Group Plc. is a developer of pay TV technology. NDS was established in 1988 as an Israeli start up company. It was acquired by News Corporation in 1992. The company is currently headquartered in Staines, United Kingdom...
encryption and went free-to-air. It joined the BBC and ITV's new satellite platform, Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
on the same day.
More4 is available to viewers in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
via Sky, Freesat and UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
's digital service. This led to further speculation that Channel 4 would eventually launch on Sky in the Republic of Ireland, which it did in December 2006. Channel 4 has already made its other flagship channels: E4, E4+1, Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
and Film4+1 available in Ireland via Sky, UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
digital TV providers. Channel 4 itself is available on almost all Irish cable and MMDS systems (in some cases Channel 4 is replaced with S4C).
See also
- Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
- E4
- Film4Film4Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
- List of British television channels