In a speech to Polis, the journalism think tank at the London School of Economics, Hunt asked why local newspapers, trying to reinvent their business models by moving online, should have to "face the additional threat of subsidised competition from the BBC's plans for local video on demand".
He said: "Local newspapers are a vital part of the fabric of small communities throughout the country and are currently trying to reinvent their business model, having lost much of the revenue that used to come from classified sales. As they move online, why should they have to face the additional threat of subsidised competition from the BBC's plans for local video on demand? I don't think they should and I hope the BBC Trust takes a strong stance on this proposal."
Hunt also called for a better understanding of the BBC's licence fee. Although he labelled it "a system that works", he said that "free market principles are much more closely responsible for the success of British broadcasting than widely perceived".
Meanwhile, Hunt pledged that a Conservative government would promote independent local TV by encouraging the creation of local TV stations by ensuring media ownership rules do not prevent local newspaper groups from investing in local TV in their area.
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