4seven

Faceparty was a social network, and still is of sorts.

Yes but social media didn't exist in the sense of directed marketing or TV companies and shows using Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to interact with their audience.

As I said, not the same thing.

My definitions Social Networking pre Twitter and Facebook?

Social Media Twitter and Facebook era?

Maybe it did exist in a primitive form but it was certainly not as big as it is now to build a whole channel around.

They're not building a whole channel around it.

You know what I mean.

I certainly hope they're not.

Not everyone twats every 30 seconds, or comments about their bowel movements on Facebook, and I can't see the connection with TV scheduling.

If someone has the ability to influence this channel's schedule using social media, then they also have access to the readily available catch-up services.

It looks rather pointless to me.

In an era where you can Sky+ programmes (and equivalent) or catchup via 4oD this new channel seems like a step backwards and rather pointless.

So should Channel 4 also close E4 and More4 too? Take away the social media BS, which was an obvious and successful way to get the channel talked about pre-launch, and this channel is no different to any of the other Channel 4 channels.

It will increase Channel 4's advertising revenue for not much cost.

C4, Film4, More4, 4Music and E4 cater for different audiences. Nobody has suggested that they should be replaced.

I believe the point is that those who possibly drive the schedule for ''4seven' are the very ones who have access to non-linear TV in the first place.

No one is driving the schedule other than Channel 4. It is just a regular channel with a published schedule like E4, More4, Film4 etc. It is ridiculous to suggest that new channels are redundant because everyone has access to 4OD. 4OD counts for a fraction of total viewers.

If you say 4Seven is unnecessary because viewers can just watch 4oD then you have to argue that FilmFour is unnecessary because viewers can just watch DVDs and 4Music is unnecessary because people can just listen to CDs.

And the Freeview channel number - all seems to have worked very well from them in that sense! Makes you wonder if they'll actively avoid moving it up the EPG if the opportunity arises...

(BTW ITV1+1 was a convenient date around the time of launch rather than holding out for it specifically - it was originally due to lauch Autumn 2009 but went on hold for over a year for various boring reasons)