TV4 News Launches

Anchors Peter Lindgren and Anna Herdenstam

On January 24, watch when Sweden's only 24-hour news channel launches: TV4 News. Swedish TV viewers will get a complete news service with global, national and local sports, weather, business, entertainment and general news. A unique cooperation with BBC World News will give viewers a value-added international perspective and analysis. And with a new contract with Canal Digital and existing contract with Com Hem, TV4 News will already from the start be available to half of the Swedish population.

TV4 News will show the latest local and national news with extended news broadcasts every half hour and shorter updates every 15 minutes. The news will be anchored by TV4's well-known program hosts.

"TV4 News cements our position as the most important and most-watched TV news service in the country," says Göran Ellung, CEO for Nyhetsbolaget, the company behind the new channel. "Our national news coverage, our presence in 25 local centers and our new agreement with BBC World News - one of the world's foremost news providers - gives us an edge, breadth and depth in the service we offer to TV viewers: up-to-the-minute news as well as in-depth analysis of domestic and foreign events."

TV4 News will broadcast directly from the news scenes - all the big news will be covered, from interesting press conferences and top international meetings to political party congresses, film openings and other events. TV4 News also has a studio in the Swedish Parliament for interviews, debates and commentators.

There will be two daily news broadcasts from BBC World News, plus the news interview program HARDtalk, with host Stephen Sackur. A total of eight hours will be broadcast weekly.

"BBC World News has unique expertise in high-quality, international journalism which will serve as a perfect complement to the TV4 News offering," says Colin Lawrence, commercial director for BBC World News. "This agreement mirrors successful arrangements we have with an increasing number of broadcasters around the world and will offer viewers in Sweden the impartial global perspective they crave and the opportunity to engage with BBC World News content via a new platform."

Other programs broadcast will be an interview program with Swedish columnist Göran Rosenberg, entertainment news show Nöjet as well as programs such as CBS 60 Minutes.

For advertisers, TV4 News means a new and exclusive channel, including the coveted business-to-business segment. Interest has been high, with contracts for 2012 signed already with Tele2, Lexus, Mercuri Urval, Norwegian and Electrolux Home.

The channel will be available in all platforms, via television sets, the web, as well as smart phones and tablets through a subscription to TV4 Play Premium.