MEMBERS of Parliament have joined the campaign to save Meridian's television studios in Kent from possible closure.

Fears for the studios' were prompted by a remark at a television industry dinner in Southampton.

A senior executive disclosed that, after the merger of Granada and Carlton, the New Hythe studios, near Maidstone, would close in nine months' and local presentation switched to a new production centre, possibly in Fareham.

The studios employ around 50 and the National Union of Journalists said it was an "appalling" way to find out. People were in tears about the prospect of losing their jobs, a union spokesman said.

After the NUJ alerted the county's MPs, Derek Wyatt, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheeness, sent an email to the Independent Television Commission on behalf of the county's eight Labour members.

Mr Wyatt's email asked the ITC, the commercial television watchdog, to explain the procedure for closing studios.

He added: "Without any notice or consultation, Granada leaked out that it is to close the Meridian Broadcasting Centre at Maidstone and that in future all Kent and East Sussex programming will come from Southampton."

The ITC said it knew nothing of the plan before the leak but "Meridian were and are aware that it would require regulatory approval”.

Sarah Thane, director of programmes and advertising, added: "We understand from informal discussion with the company that it would involve transfer of part of the operations from Maidstone, rather than closure."

She said that it was important to keep "adequate production resources" in Kent.

A Meridian spokeswoman said that managing director Lindsay Charlton had written personally to all Kent MPs.

He had reassured them that far from reducing the service, Meridian was going to improve the service by investing in new technology.

ITV chiefs deny there are any immediate plans to close the studios, but concede that there could be changes to the way news is covered and presented in the county.

It is understood that two bureaux may be set up, one in Ashford, to improve newsgathering and gear the broadcaster up for the business and population explosion in Kent over the next 20 years.

A multi-million pound investment plan would update technology lagging well behind ITV's main rivals.

A senior industry source said: "ITV has never modernised and it's going through the same sort of trauma the newspaper industry did more than 25 years ago.

"We are 10 years behind where the BBC are, where CNN are and where Sky are. We've got to up our game and compete."

The source added: "We've got multi-channel competitors, revenues in decline, we pay a fortune for our licences and the fat days are over.

"But there's a really exciting, well-resourced competitive future for a lot of people in ITV regions and that's what we are going to give them."