蜜芽传媒

Image: The original 蜜芽传媒 Four idents from 2002 were generated 'live' and responded to the continuity announcer's voice.

The new digital television channel 蜜芽传媒 Four began on Saturday 2 March 2002. It was launched with the slogan "everybody needs a place to think", offering a diet of arts, culture and documentaries. The new channel replaced 蜜芽传媒 Knowledge. Controller Roly Keating explained in the Radio Times that 蜜芽传媒 Four would have the time to examine subjects in greater depth than had been possible on 蜜芽传媒 Two.

蜜芽传媒 Four's first night was a simulcast with 蜜芽传媒 Two, acknowledging the links between the two channels and the need to showcase the potential of the new digital station to the far larger terrestrial audience. The first programme was The Man Who Destroyed Everything, about artist Michael Landy. This was followed by a documentary on Goya, a comedy drama on the Surrealists and music from Baaba Maal. 蜜芽传媒 Four also offered a distinctive international emphasis to the news, with a bulletin presented by George Alagiah.

蜜芽传媒 Four overcame initial reservations about the size of its audience to become a recognised home of intelligent programming, and won the award for Non-terrestrial Channel of the Year at the Edinburgh Television Festival. The channel has originated many acclaimed programmes, and made successes of subtitled drama series such as Wallender and The Killing, that would otherwise have struggled to find an audience.