Local TV: the runners and riders for the licences
The media companies which won the licences for Labour's doomed regional news pilots are expected to be among those bidding to run new local TV services.
Broadcasters and production companies are weighing up the invitation from culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to express their views on how local television stations could work and to put their names forward to run their licences.
Hunt's plan, to create a new national TV channel powered by a host of local stations, succeeds Labour's idea of replacing ITV's regional news broadcasts with independently-funded and produced bulletins.
Labour would have backed the Independently Funded News Consortia (IFNC) scheme with £47m government funding, but the idea was scrapped by Hunt when the Conservatives came to power on the grounds that it would be too costly.
Now Hunt believes that a UK-wide channel mixing national and local programming could attract advertisers, and IFNC bidders have admitted their interest in getting on board.
UTV, the Belfast-based broadcaster which would have run regional news in Wales if IFNC had gone ahead, is likely to register its interest after welcoming Hunt's announcement.
Its managing director, Michael Wilson, said: "The challenge for all interested in delivering a local service will be to make a new channel and opt-outs commercially viable very quickly.
"UTV's experience at making cost effective, high quality local news and programming makes us ideally placed to take advantage of the potential new licenses being offered by the Secretary of State."
Production company Ten Alps, which was part of the winning IFNC bid for the Tyne Tees region, was cooler on the plans when asked by The Drum but is understood to be giving them thought.
A spokesperson told us the company believes the plans are "interesting" but it will wait for more details to emerge before making a firm decision about whether or not to get involved.
Licences for local television services will be handed out before the end of 2012.