OFCOM has suggested three options for the future of public service broadcasting - including the end of all of ITV's regional programming and even the channel itself - and will give further details at a seminar in Salford this week.

The media regulator will host a seminar at The Lowry arts centre on Thursday, where deputy chairman Philip Graf and director for England, Graham Howell, will outline Phase 2 of the Public Service Broadcasting Review.

The review - which relates to programming, including regional news and programmes for children - will attempt to establish a future framework for such services at a time of extraordinary change, including digital switchover and a massive increase in competition.

It is of significance to viewers and TV workers in the north west because it has major implications for ITV Granada, which has already argued that it is not commercially possible for it to honour obligations forming part of its conditions for holding the Channel 3 licence in the region.

Unions fear that ITV will cease production of regional news all together, costing hundreds of jobs and concentrating only on networked programming.

Channel 4 and Channel 5 also have PSB commitments and which will be discussed.

This week's seminar will follow a speech delivered to the Royal Television Society by Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards in which he suggested numerous options for the future. They include the possibility of ITV and Channel 5 altogether, with the spectrum re-auctioned or passed to Channel 4 and the BBC so that their services can be expanded.

Another option is that ITV would be obliged only to provide network television and UK and international news, "but probably nothing else".

A third option would be for funding to be made available by the government through the licence fee for both the Channel 3 and Channel 5 services, with ITV able to bid for that funding alongside other competitors "if they wished to continue to play a role".

Mr Richards said that Ofcom is keen that the BBC should be at the "cornerstone of PSB" but that it is vital that the BBC is not the only provider of public service programming, particularly at a regional level. Tweet