Channel 5 is likely to take advantage of Ofcom’s recent opening up of applications for a fifth HD channel by promoting its own Five HD for the free spectrum –according to The Telegraph.

Joining BBC HD, BBC ONE HD, ITV1 HD and 4HD it would expand the station beyond its present home on Virgin.

Freeview HD forms part of the government’s digital switchover plans, scheduled to complete by 2012, and is currently available to over half of all UK households.

In a statement Ofcom said: “The closing date for applications is 17 October 2011. Applications will be judged against a number of key criteria including an assessment of how the new capacity will contribute to enhancing the range and diversity of high quality television services available on Digital Terrestrial Television”