LONDON: BBC3, the youth-oriented digital channel from the UK's publicly-funded broadcaster, is relaunching this week under the captaincy of 34-year-old wunderkind Danny Cohen.

The channel, which has been much derided for airing such epics as Me and My Man Breasts, is hoping to attract more viewers in the elusive early 20s age-range, as it seeks to converge trad TV with online.

BBC Three is also streamed live on the internet, inviting viewers to act as continuity announcers based on the clips they submit. Another show, Lily Allen and Friends, wants viewers to sign up to a BBC-created social network site.  

Cohen, who has an £83 million ($161.6m; £111.6m) budget to use to best effect, is confident the new offering will deliver the targeted audience. "I'm encouraged by the early signs," he says.

Data sourced from The Times Online (UK); additional content by WARC staff