Independently financed news consortia (IFNCs) - comprised potentially of newspaper, radio and TV groups - are part of the Government's policy for ensuring the provision of regional news on ITV once ITV stops producing it after digital TV switchover.
The Government is proposing to launch three pilots next year: one in Scotland, one in Wales and one in an English region. Following this, contracts would be handed to a range of consortia across Wales, Scotland and the various English regions.
Up to £100m of public money could be made available to fund these IFNCs, although the BBC is opposed to licence fee money being put to this use.
Speaking at a Westminster Media Forum, John Hardie, chief executive of ITN, said any regional TV news on ITV must "deliver for viewers" and to do this there should be "a master contractor for England" that works with local, regional and community publishers.
Hardie said if ITN was to win the contract to provide local regional news for ITV, it would provide "quality and ambition", a revolution in distribution and a "global connection".
It had been expected that the contract for the English region pilot would go to a regionally focused consortia of publishers. Guardian Media Group is currently lobbying the Government for this pilot to be in the North East. It currently operates Channel M in the North West.
Hardie said no one could deliver English regional news "as effectively" as ITN, but that this was not the same as being the cheapest. Hardie said: "We need to create a model that is fit to last for generations."
Mark Dodson, chief executive of GMG Regional Media, said he "couldn't imagine local newspapers wanting to be involved" in ITN's plans and it was "difficult to see how local" ITN's proposals were.
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