WITHIN hours of Meridian TV's new managing director Lindsay Charlton taking up his new role he put Maidstone on a par with Southampton by moving part of his office to the Larkfield studios.

But then 48-year-old Charlton is very much a local boy made good. Beginning his career as a trainee journalist in Maidstone on the Kent Messenger in 1973, he recalls that his proudest moment was compiling the Saturday sports round up. He went on to be news editor of the Kentish Express in Ashford and then news editor of the Kent Evening Post before joining Granada in Manchester as a researcher in 1980.

After a spell with the ill-fated "squarial" broadcaster British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB he returned to the Granada family as a reporter on London Weekend's local news. His rise up the executive ladder has been impressive and he became managing director of London Weekend two years ago.

At Meridian he faces strong opposition from the BBC's South East news which in a few months has already became so much part of the local media scene, we can hardly remember the time when only London metropolitan news filled our screens.

Charlton has no illusions about the challenges ahead. He said: "ITV is now an exposed business with a declining income. At Meridian we have to find new ways to engage the audience." He promises to encourage new talent and wants to work with regional independent producers.

He also wants to see more local advertisers on the box. Lindsay Charlton still lives in Kent -in Seal - and with two children still at local schools he says he is not tempted to switch homes to Southampton. He replaces Mary McAnally, an accomplished programme maker, totally dedicated to our region. She has been a powerful advocate for local programmes and despite the collapse of ITV's income, ensured that Meridian's commitment to the region has been maintained.

She is going to continue her work with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) as chair of its creative industries task force and will also stay on the board of our regional film agency, Screen South.