A fifth HD digital terrestrial TV channel is expected to launch by April next year in the UK. Ofcom has invited public service broadcasters to apply for the slot.

The media watchdog said the extra capacity needed for HD on DTT had been created by reorganising existing TV services and introducing MPEG-4 and DVB-T2.

The closing date for applicationsis October 17th and it is expected that the new HD channel will launch by April 2012. The BBC isn’t in the running having already got two HD channels – BBC HD and BBC One HD