Kent County Council is considering whether to spend another £400,000 of taxpayers’ money on its internet TV station Kent TV, it has emerged.

The authority said it was weighing up whether to extend the two-year pilot project for Kent TV by a further year at a potential cost of £400,000, a move likely to trigger a political row.

The possibility of more taxpayers’ money being invested in the project comes in the face of a warning that the authority is struggling to meet its objective of making the station self-financing through advertising.

Kent TV is operated by Ten Alps, a company founded by Sir Bob Geldof and since its launch last September has seen 800,000 visits to the site.

The county council had originally set aside £1.2million to meet the costs of the two-year pilot and has already spent a further £200,000 on start-up costs.

Now it has confirmed a further £400,000 of taxpayers’ money may be ploughed into the initiative. It is one of a series of policy options being considered by the council’s ruling Conservative administration ahead of next year’s budget.

In a statement, Kent County Council deputy leader Alex King said: "Kent TV is contributing to future savings - for example, rather than commissioning some of our publications, Kent TV will be used to provide information direct to the public.

"Kent TV is also providing business to local small and medium enterprises through production of video content and employment to local people which is especially useful in these difficult financial times by offering a free tool for local businesses to raise their profile.

"The hits and unique visitor numbers show people are increasingly using the site. This includes community groups and individuals who are uploading their own information and videos. Kent TV also provides services in terms of careers advice and accessing local services and to promote Kent as a tourist destination for visitors and residents."

However, a report due to be presented to county councillors on Friday says the recession means there is less chance of paying for Kent TV through advertising, as the council had originally planned.

It states: “It is going to be increasingly difficult to get sponsorship and/or advertising revenues as there is not as much money in the pot and people are more likely to stick with proven advertising techniques rather than new ones at such times.”

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said: “KCC should be getting its priorities right and putting its money into creating jobs and helping less well off people to cope with the difficult times ahead.

"Extending the pilot would be pouring good money after bad and we should be ending this pilot as soon as the contract comes to an end.”

“Viewing figures for Kent TV for their first year show Kent tax payers are paying over £1 per head for each viewer. That is way too much. Advertising income is not coming in fast enough, and it is going to reduce further becasue of the hard times we are now in.”

The county council was recently ordered to release more details about its spending on Kent TV by an information watchdog after a successful appeal by the Kent Messenger Group under the Freedom of Information Act.