Channel 4 are continuing the UK"s digital free-to-air revolution by providing their subscriber service, FilmFour, free of charge.
Bosses have decided to enable anyone with a digital terrestrial receiver to experience the £10m a year Channel 4 spends on independent film. After the relaunch, which is expected in July, the channel will show a range of Hollywood, classic, world cinema and cult films running from 3pm to 3am.
Currently costing £7 per month and with 300,000 subscribers, FilmFour have been responsible for a number of successful films since 1982, including East is East, Dogma and the recent League of Gentlemen"s Apocalypse. Through taking this step, Channel 4 are in direct competition with Sky who offer a much larger subscription based service.
The FreeView revolution continues as more and more channels become available without paying a penny, though digital terrestrial still cannot offer the range of services provided by subscription based satellite and cable services.