UK public service broadcaster Channel 4’s annual new media budget is increasing by £1 million ($1.9 million) to £22 million ($43 million) in 2007. In its statement of programme policy (required by regulator Ofcom), C4 said: “While we expect our portfolio of new media services to generate commercial returns to be returned to the core channel, we will also use new media platforms to launch entirely new services with public service broadcasting values and to offer viewers new ways to access Channel 4’s output.”
The additional investment will go to overhaul the websites for Channel 4 News and the Dispatches news show, launching improving user-generated content portals for comedy and documentaries, and to online education content. It will also take the broadcaster’s 4OD on-demand package (currently available on cable TV and computer screens) onto BT’s Vision IPTV service.