Viewers will no longer have to pay a monthly fee if they want more than the five standard channels.

The package will just require consumers to make a one-off payment for a digital receiver, which currently costs less than £100, but which is expected to come down in price.

Some of the extra channels - like BBC Four and ITV2 - were still available to viewers with a digital receiver, such as an old ITV Digital box, despite the old service's collapse.

When Freeview is fully up and running, they will then be able to receive the following channels for free:

• BBC One

• BBC Two

• BBC Three - the BBC's youth-oriented channel which is due to launch in early 2003. Until then, BBC Choice will feature.

• BBC Four - a "highbrow" culture and current affairs channel that has its own world news bulletin as well as world cinema, concerts, discussion shows and documentaries.

• ITV1

• ITV2 - ITV's second channel that has shown programmes complimenting ITV's main channel, such as Survivor: Raw, imports like The Late Show with David Letterman, and extra sports coverage.

• Channel 4

• Five

• S4C (Wales only) - Welsh sister channel of Channel 4 with Welsh-language programming.

• BBC News 24 - continuous news channel.

• Sky News - continuous news channel.

• ITV News Channel - continuous news channel. Used to be known as the ITN News Channel.

• Sky Sports News - continuous sports news channel.

• UK History - a new channel to meet the growing demand for history shows on TV, drawing on the BBC's extensive archive.

• CBBC - BBC children's channel for six to 13-year-olds featuring Newsround, comedy, drama, factual shows and Blue Peter spin-offs.

• Cbeebies - BBC channel for children under six. Includes favourites like Teletubbies and Tweenies, a story hour and the BBC's first pre-school drama.

• UK TV - Lifestyle programmes, launching in January.

• BBC Parliament - live coverage of proceedings in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

• F tn - Flextech Television Network. A new general entertainment channel, launching in January.

• The Hits - A music channel provided by Emap, the company behind Smash Hits, Q and Kerrang!.

• The Music Factory - Another music channel, this time provided by MTV.

• The Community Channel - the UK's first charity television channel, focusing on different campaigns and encouraging the public to "turn viewing into doing".

• S4C2 (Wales only) - live coverage from the Welsh National Assembly. Already on DTT in Wales.

• Sky Travel - offering holiday deals and programmes about destinations.

• QVC - shopping channel.

• TV Travel Shop - offering holiday deals.

• BBCi - interactive television and text, such as the Wimbledon Interactive service that lets viewers choose which court they watch.

• Teletext Interactive digital text service.

• Seven BBC radio stations - 1Xtra, 6 Music, BBC 7, Radio Five Live, Five Live Sports Extra, and the Asian Network - plus the World Service.

• Five commercial radio stations - Smash Hits!, Kerrang!, Kiss, Oneword and Jazz FM.

The BBC has promised that because there will be fewer channels than there were on ITV Digital, each will have a stronger signal - reducing problems with interference.