Outgoing ITV chief exec Charles Allen gave mixed signals when asked about regional news at the Post-McTaggart Q&A on Saturday morning.

Asked whether it would continue post-switchover in 2012, Allen said that there were no current plans to change the way local news works on ITV1 but suggested that new services such as ITV Broadband could pave the way for - read: provide excuses for - doing so in future.

However, an ITV spokesperson later told DS: "We absolutely want regional news on ITV and absolutely want to continue with regional news. But in a digital world, we'll have to look at how it's funded."