Local TV plans revealed

The towns and cities - which have been chosen because they have the appropriate transmitter coverage - will be whittled down to around 20 by the end of the year.

The Yorkshire and Humber nominations include: Grimsby (includes parts of Hull), Keighley, Leeds (includes Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield), Scarborough, Sheffield (includes parts of Rotherham), and York.

Each area will now be asked to make the case for why its town should be among those awarded a licence by Ofcom, with the first wave due next year.

The Government is also canvassing opinion from potential operators about which locations are likely to make the scheme a success.

Mr Hunt said: “We need to decide which areas are best placed to pioneer the new service.

“These new, local TV services will be a fundamental change in how people get information about their own communities, and how they hold their representatives to account.

“I want people to be able to watch television that’s truly relevant to them, about what’s happening where they live and featuring the people they know.”

Mr Hunt will host events in major cities around the country to discuss issues and explain how local TV could benefit communities.