Television journalists are preparing to fight a news shake-up that threatens jobs and coverage of Kent and Medway.

Under proposals by Ofcom, the television regulator, ITV’s flagship programme Meridian Tonight would be cut from three editions to one.

The region would be expanded to include the Thames Valley, and the show split into two 15-minute inserts, one for the south of the region, based in Hampshire, and one for the east, covering Kent and Medway.

Journalists fear that the move could lead to a downgrading of the ITV newsroom in Maidstone Studios, with job losses among the 25-strong workforce. They are also concerned that viewers would be given a poorer service.

Mark Southgate, managing director of ITV Meridian is due to announce his response to staff on Tuesday.

Iain McBride, sports presenter and the National Union of Journalists’ joint father-of-chapel, said staff would then decide what action to take. They had a list of proposals designed to protect jobs and local news coverage for viewers.

"The fight isn’t over yet and we are confident we can make a big case based around the fact that we are going to be 50 per cent of the output of this new Meridian region," he said.

It was important that the Maidstone-based service was well resourced and not just an outpost of the Hampshire operation.

"Our concen is that if there are stories from Weymouth, people in Margate aren’t interstested, equally people in Dover aren’t interested in a Portsmouth story. So it’s not a good day for viewers in the south east, it’s all about saving money, but it’s not as bad as it could have been."

Changing in viewing patterns and technology prompted Ofcom to look at rules governing public service broadcasting (PSB).

ITV has been obliged to provide a minimum amount of regional news coverage. But under the proposals, weekly regional news would be cut from five hours 20 minutes to three hours 45 minutes by dropping the weekday mid-morning bulletins and weekend lunchtime bulletins.

Ofcom’s Stewart Purvis said: "We regard the provision of regional news for England as an essential requirement for any future model of PSB.

"The aim of this agreement is to ensure a framework is put in place at a realistic level to enable ITV to continue to meet audience’s needs, especially for prime time regional news."

Changes will be introduced early next year.