Channel 4 reveals new broadband service

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Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan has revealed plans for a broadband service to run alongside a previously announced new digital TV channel dedicated to documentaries.

The online channel will feature an archive of old and new programmes and is scheduled to launch next spring, MediaGuardian reported. Duncan also said the broadcaster planned to double its online spending next year and would continue to boost its investment in "public service" web sites in following years.

Channel 4 has yet to decide whether the new broadband archive channel will be free or offered on a subscription basis.

Meanwhile, BBC director-general Mark Thompson is expected to announce the launch of a new BBC "catch-up TV" service, available free to licence payers. According to The Sunday Times, details of the plan - first mooted earlier this year by BBC new media director Ashley Highfield - will be unveiled in Thompson's strategic plan, due to be published on Tuesday.

The catch-up service will make programmes broadcast within the past seven days freely available via broadband. Another service, dubbed the Creative Archive, will allow web users to download video clips from the corporation's huge archive of factual programmes for free.