Channel 4 budget to top £500m in 2006

Channel 4's budget for this year is to rise a modest £15 million on 2005, the broadcaster announced today.

The news takes the provisional budget, £505 million, over the half billion mark for the first time and puts the total network budget at £625 million.

E4 will get an extra £7 million in 2006, following last year's 50% budget increase to £60 million. More4's first year budget has been set at £33 million while C4's new media division has been earmarked £21 million, a rise of £5 million.

"Channel 4 has been at the top of its creative game in 2005," said chief executive Andy Duncan. "Success breeds success and, as a result of what we've achieved in 2005, we're able to raise our editorial spend to record levels and continue to invest in our future."