MTV on Wednesday announced the launch of MTV Overdrive, a Web channel through www.mtv.com that will feature more advanced viewing and video-on-demand capabilities for an audience accustomed to instantaneous content.

Thanks to technological gains and speedier broadband connections, MTV can boost its content offerings dramatically, said the company.

The channel officially will launch April 25, hosting continuous MTV News updates, artist interviews, music videos, live music performances, original and newly created short-form programming, MTV and MTV2 show footage, movie trailers and more.

"It's about time we caught up with the demands of young people," MTV Networks president Van Toffler said during a news conference at its Times Square office.

He characterized the free service as a hybrid of short-form linear viewing with an on-demand experience, noting that the technology previously had not been available for MTV to offer this type of programming.

MTV was quick to point out the interest from advertisers, who already have jumped into the 15-second video ad format that most commonly will be seen on the site. Microsoft, Sony Pictures and Procter & Gamble already are slated as advertisers. Ads will not be able to be skipped over like with TiVo's devices.

With the onset of the upfront advertising season, MTV said more and more ad dollars continue to flow to the cable networks. Multiplatform offerings like MTV Overdrive continue to be important to ad buyers, Toffler said.

The initiative is a great example of giving viewers MTV programming "available whenever they want it," Toffler said. He added that the online platform gives "much more breadth and depth" than what can be offered on TV.

When asked whether other networks of its parent company Viacom will follow suit with similar channels, Toffler said the MTV audience is more likely to take to the format initially. However, he did say it's a possibility that other brands in the Viacom family might consider the option down the road.

MTV Overdrive will launch with six channels of programming, including: "The Lineup," showing general programming highlights; "News," updated four times daily; "Music," which along with a variety of video presentations will show clips from the exclusive "MTV.com Live" performance series; "On TV," giving behind-the-scenes glimpses of MTV shows; and "Movies," a showcase for trailers and celebrity interviews. Additional channels focusing on video games and personal style will be added soon.

Viewers also can opt to assemble their own playlists from any program or video offered on MTV Overdrive, allowing them to bypass content they're not interested in but retaining the advertising.

The network is building a midtown studio devoted to digital media to support the hybrid broadband channel. MTV Overdrive is built using Microsoft's Windows Media Video and Windows Media DRM. A version tailored to take advantage of the Microsoft Media Center Edition platform's capabilities is also in the works, as part of the strategic partnership announced in January by Microsoft and MTVN.

Kathleen Anderson reported from New York; Chris Marlowe reported from Los Angeles.