MTV Networks is set to launch a high definition (HD) channel from January.

The US company will base its studios in the ski resort of Vail during the winter months and hopes to provide round the clock high definition programming, including three hours of live shows a day.

Tony Dunaif, an MTV executive, believes HDTV and music videos are a profitable combination, stating that young people "are the ones who will buy the sets first".

According to statistics from Kagan Research, 17 per cent of American households will have an HDTV by the end of the year.