TV show and album to boost indie day of celebration.

The unique strength, creativity and influence of the UK indie community will be celebrated with the first significant profile of the sector in a TV documentary to coincide with the global Independents Day 08 initiative.

The move to screen a documentary, which will be aired by Channel 4 in the week following the July 4 kickoff for Independents Day, comes as more details emerge about the massive event, which will feature the largest auction to date of indie memorabilia and a double album showcasing the cream of indie talent.

A number of major bands and artists, including Prodigy, Tom Smith from Editors, The Futureheads and British Sea Power, have also signed up to the special, limited-edition double album, ID 08, that forms part of the July activities.

David Steele, head of Embryonic Music and executive producer of the TV show and album, says that the TV programme will focus on the sector, interviewing key label owners, bands and Aim chairman and CEO Alison Wenham, who has played an instrumental role in bringing the inaugural Independents Day 08 to life.

Steele adds there will also be some performance-based part to the documentary, thought to be the first incisive investigation of this key sector. Five or six acts who have contributed to the ID08 album will be recorded and there is likely to be some background on the making of the album, which was commissioned in February and whose track listing was still being tweaked last week.

Steele says, "The concept was to do something that celebrates indie labels and that brings everyone together. Around that there will be a retail plot, good PR and TV and radio support. The crux of it is the auction and also the album."

On radio support, Steele says that Xfm is already planning programming around ...