More4 to rebrand with channel refocus
More4 is to rebrand from January 2012, with a new digital service and a refocus on the style of programming shown.
The ‘Digital Scrapbook’ service, which will launch in April 2012, will encourage users to collect, organise, share, discover and ‘form deeper relationships’ with Channel 4's factual content and its talent, allowing users to create a ‘scrapbook’ including recipes, how to guides, tips and advice.
Richard Davidson-Houston, head of Channel 4 online, said: "Not only is the Digital Scrapbook a strong audience proposition, allowing viewers to follow an interest from linear TV to interactive platforms; but it moves us beyond the traditional web-publishing model and allows us to have a closer relationship with our audience, providing us with valuable information and insight."
This refocusing of the channel will also mean that some documentaries, arts and current affairs will no longer play on More4, with True Stories returning to Channel 4.
Jay Hunt, Channel 4's chief creative officer, said: "True Stories is an important strand for us and this change provides these films with a bigger platform and a greater audience. We will be investing more heavily in the films, increasing the budget by an average of 25%, and I'm excited to be bringing more feature length, authored journalism to Channel 4.
"More4 is already an incredibly successful channel. It has increased its share every year since launch, with this year being its most successful ever. But in an increasingly competitive and changing world we are always looking for ways of improving and developing our services, maximising revenues and more effectively serving our audience".