Almost 90% of MPs support local TV plan - survey claims
Almost 90% of MPs would support the government's plans to introduce a new local TV network, a new ComRes poll suggests.
Out of 155 MPs from across all the parties, 87% said they would support more local TV. As it stands 74% of MPs feel TV news and features tend to be "too London-centric".
Some 76% "appreciated the role of local TV in strengthening local democracy" and 85% "agreed that local TV needs high-quality programmes to to compete for viewers with national channels".
The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announced plans to introduce a new network TV channel made up of local programming earlier this year.
Channel 6, one of the contenders to run local TV services, commissioned Comres to undertake this survey.
Its chairman, Richard Horwood, said: ""The Channel 6 poll shows that the launch of local TV is one of those rare policies on which MPs of all parties agree, as long as its quality is comparable with programming on other channels.
"This will not only enable local TV to attract viewers, but also justify placing the channel in the number 6 slot."