Viewers in Halton are being invited to have their say on what hits their screens - for cash.

A new research panel  is giving telly fans in Runcorn and Widnes the opportunity to earn up to £70 simply for talking about TV.

Informal group discussions are to be held on behalf of key UK broadcasters and programme makers.

Participants may be given a sneak peek of upcoming programmes, invited to help develop new programme ideas or even create brand new channels Halton is one of several locations being targeted in an attempt to shake up the TV research industry, which is still biased towards running these type of sessions in London and the same few regional cities.

Dean Richardson, former research manager at television network UKTV and founder of Inquisi Research Ltd, the agency behind theviewers.co.uk said: “The TV research industry is still very London-centric with Birmingham and Manchester popular regional locations.

“Whenever we ventured off the research map, we were impressed with the refreshingly honest feedback we received from viewers.

“ It really doesn’t matter whether people have done this type of thing before, we’re just after totally honest opinions”.

Sessions will be held in central venues both during the day and evening. They typically last up to two hours and involve six to eight participants led by a trained interviewer.

As well as being paid £40-£70 cash for participating, free refreshments are usually on offer too.

Signing up to theviewers.co.uk is free and open to anyone aged over 16. The process involves completing a short questionnaire on TV viewing habits.

It is these answers the company uses to match members to projects and identify suitable locations for research rather than deciding the location first, typical of market research.

The website also offers online tasks allowing members to get paid for their TV opinions from the comfort of their own home. Further information is available at theviewers.co.uk.