Digital channel ends five years of weekday shows as it aims to bolster 'high-end American programming'

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

More4 is cutting back from five editions of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart per week to just one.

From next month Channel 4's digital service will only air The Daily Show Global Edition on Mondays, marking an end to the five-year deal which began with More4's launch in 2005.

More4 broadcasts the daily edition of the irreverent US current affairs show on Tuesday to Friday evenings at 8.30pm, with the Global Edition on Monday evenings.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "More4 will continue to show The Daily Show Global Edition on Monday nights in the new year, so viewers will still have the opportunity to see the best of Jon Stewart's Daily Show in the UK."

Broadcast in the US on cable channel Comedy Central, Stewart's satirical news programme attracts an average of between 60,000 and 90,000 viewers in the UK.

More4 bought the US version of Shameless in August, as it moved to bolster its roster of "high-end American programming".

The money recouped from reducing transmissions of The Daily Show should allow the broadcaster more room to invest in arts programming, such as the True Stories documentary strand, to which it signalled a commitment earlier this year.

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.

• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".