MERIDIAN staff have won the backing of influential MPs for their campaign to keep television presentation in the county.

Members of the influential House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, including Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheerness), have denounced plans to switch presentation of Meridian Tonight from New Hythe, near Maidstone, to Hampshire.

The MPs attack the broadcaster for causing uncertainty in a report that strongly condemns Meridian's strategy in the wake of the Carlton/Granada merger and the creation of a single ITV.

They say this "reflects a lamentable lack of meaningful and open consultation with the workforce."

The outcome of discussions between Meridian bosses in Southampton and staff in New Hythe would "provide an important indicator of ITV plc's commitment or otherwise to regional television”.

Falling advertising revenues have put pressure on ITV to cut the number of hours devoted to regional issues.

The MPs believe that the merged company is only interested in cutting costs and jobs -- more than 150 are due to go from Meridian alone -- and that means trimming back on local programmes and public service broadcasting.

They are concerned that the "quality of local news coverage on Channel 3 will be corroded by financially-motivated consolidation which will leave fewer journalists and facilities based throughout the communities in question”.

ITV's commitment to regional news will "prove a hollow boast if the relevant programmes are produced by people who do not live in the communities they are serving and have no affinities with them," the committee says.

The Committee, chaired by Gerald Kaufman, says that quotas for regional production are essential. It quotes the Kent situation at length, saying plans to downgrade production facilities had "proceeded apace with, to say the least, scant consultation with the trade unions”.

It calls on Ofcom, the new regulator, to conduct future negotiations with ITV in "an open and transparent manner" and be "much more vigilant”.

Clive Jones, Carlton's joint managing director, told the committee in December that the plans for Meridian did not amount to a "diminution within the region”.

But the committee criticised the Independent Television Commission and its successor Ofcom for accepting "this glib attempted justification”.

It added: "Regional programming...fulfils an important role in cementing community identity. In border areas, this identity can be fluid and there are public service merits in allowing viewers to choose between neighbouring Channel 3 franchises.

"Clive Jones indicated that giving people this kind of choice was unattractive to advertisers. Too bad!"

Mr Wyatt told Kent Online he was still fighting to keep presentation in Kent, saying it was "a crazy idea" to move it to Fareham.

"We want a proper regional broadcaster, if they don't want to do it, they should push off.

"My personal view is that the only reason this is happening is to slim down the ITV, to save the £100m to ramp up the shares and to sell it. Why else would you do all this?

"Pressure will then be on the BBC charter renewal for the BBC to have a regional broadcasting public sector service."

Although the committee had no power to make ITV change its strategy, its report was a "shot across their bows" and it would be pressing hard for a positive response.

Lindsay Charlton, Meridian's managing director, said the company had noted the committee's comments.

"We have already put our case in public and to the unions," he said. "We are completely confident that the changes will enhance and improve the news coverage across the Meridian region, and we will keep Ofcom fully informed of the modernisations to Meridian as they continue throughout 2004."