KENT County Council has released more details of its plans to set up an internet-based TV station.

The fresh information, just disclosed, follows a third request made under the Freedom of Information Act by the Kent Messenger Group.

The information still does not indicate how much money the service will cost the taxpayer.

However, a copy of the tender document provided to potential operators reveals the council is aiming to draw viewers away from both the BBC and Meridian to its web-based operation.

The document says Kent TV hopes to attract a minimum audience of 10,000 viewers, watching for about 40 minutes a month and that it is intended to act as "an alternative to the existing TV services covering the county."

Kent TV will be run by a private contractor but will be overseen by a board of governors whose job it will be to ensure that it remains impartial and not used for party political purposes.

Nine bids have been received by the county council for the two-year contract which is due to start in the autumn. No decision has yet been made about who the contract will be awarded to and KCC has refused to identity the interested bidders.

The costs of running Kent TV will be met initially by the council but in its tender document, bidders are told that KCC is looking ahead to a time when it will be "at least partly self-supporting and may at some point generate income."

View the proposed TV Channel Tender Document

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