ITV could be allowed to cut regional programmes

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ITV's quotas for original UK and independent productions and national and international news would be maintained but regional news overhauled to ease pressure on the broadcaster as it suffers from an advertising slowdown.

The TV watchdog said £145 million to £235 million of additional public funding would be needed by 2012 to keep public service broadcasts at current levels on channels other than the BBC - ITV1, Channel 4 and Five - under the second phase of its public service broadcasting review.

ITV1 could have its quota for programmes made outside London reduced from 50 per cent to 35 per cent.

The quota for regional non-news programmes could be cut from 30 to 15 minutes a week.

ITV1 is seeking to rationalise its regional news in England and the Scottish borders from 17 programmes to nine. Ofcom's report called this "a credible means to sustain quality national and regional news services on ITV1".

"We propose to raise Channel 4's out-of-London quota from 30 to 35 per cent from 2010," Ofcom added.

It also plans to introduce a new quota for Channel 4's productions from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, also from 2010.

"These would need to be aligned to long-term funding for Channel 4," it said.

Extra public funding is needed to safeguard the types of programmes which are less profitable and under threat in a multi-channel age.

Ofcom will publish a final statement early next year.