John Lennon's 80th birthday to be marked with new TV channel

A pop-up TV channel featuring archive footage and new content will mark what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday.

The famous Beatle, who was murdered in 1980, would have marked the milestone on Friday October 9.

LENNON80 has been compiled and co-ordinated by music TV director Simon Sadler in conjunction with Lennon archivist Simon Hilton.

It will feature Bed Peace, the documentary charting Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In for Peace in Montreal, Canada in 1969, and their 1971 interview on Parkinson.

The couple's two appearance on ABC's primetime chat show The Dick Cavett Show in 1971 and 1972 will also be available.

Three documentaries from Ono will also air - her lecture and performance at the Tate Gallery in 2004, her Onochord performance piece, and a show about the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland.

John Lennon's 25 Greatest Songs will count down the greatest Beatles and solo songs written by Lennon, with all videos in their remastered form.

From The Lennon Archive will uncover lesser-known music videos and rare gems from the Lennon family archive.

Finally, John's Jukebox will highlight 70s and 80s songs that influenced Lennon in his solo years, including some by Sir Elton John, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.

Universal Music Group is launching the channel on Sky, Virgin and Freeview on Lennon's birthday and it will be available until October 15.