By Darren McCaffrey, Politics Reporter
Broadcasters have suggested they would be prepared to "empty chair" leaders who decline to participate in the TV debates, as they revealed their latest proposals.
Sky News, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have also proposed holding the debates during the election campaign, on 2, 16 and 30 of April.
The Prime Minister has previously indicated that he does not want the debates to be held in the six-week election campaign.
In a joint statement, the broadcasters said: "The party leaders will be formally invited to take part in these debates.
"In the event that any of the invited party leaders decline to participate, debates will take place with the party leaders who accept the invitation."
The new format idea follows three months of talks between the broadcasters and the political parties.
It includes one debate between David Cameron and Ed Miliband which will be hosted by Sky News and Channel 4.
Two debates between the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru will be broadcast on the BBC and ITV.
The broadcasters said: "Over the three months since the original proposal was put forward, the broadcasters have also continued to monitor the electoral landscape, as we promised to do, taking into account the polling evidence, and the expressions of public support for the debates to go ahead and for a wider range of parties to be included in the debates.
"In view of these factors, the broadcasters are now inviting party leaders to take part in the following debates within the official election campaign and approximately two weeks apart."
The plan, which was leaked yesterday, has been welcomed by the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
The Green Party said: "The decision to include the Greens follows hot on the heels of a remarkable 'Green surge' that has seen the Party's membership rise at an unprecedented rate and outstrip that of the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
"The Green Party, which has polled on double digits twice this week, is polling at its highest levels ahead of a General Election for decades."
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "This is welcome news from the broadcasters, who have listened to the compelling case for including the SNP in leaders' debates.
"With a larger membership than the Lib Dems and UKIP combined, and more elected MPs than UKIP, the case for including the SNP in the televised debates was unanswerable."
However, Northern Ireland's DUP leader Peter Robinson reacted angrily, writing to the BBC and ITV to ask why his party has not been included.
In a letter, he warned that the broadcaster's decision lacked "logic and credibility" and that the DUP had more seats that the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
The fresh initiative has also been criticised by the Liberal Democrats, who argue they should be included in all the debates.
A Lib Dem spokesman said: "We have always been clear that as a party of government, we must be able to defend our record in all the TV debates.
"We will continue to make that case in our discussions with the broadcasters."
A Labour spokesman said: "We will debate anyone the broadcasters choose to invite and we are pleased to see the clear proposal to have three debates all in the general election campaign.
"The broadcasters have obviously made a very significant move to adopt wholesale the Prime Minister's proposals and it surely now not possible for him to maintain his opposition to participating in these debates."
Mr Cameron has yet to react to the latest proposals.
However, a party spokesman said: "Any new proposals will be considered as part of the ongoing debates process."
The PM has previously suggested he would not partake in any debate without the Green Party.
The broadcasters' new plans could mean that, if they are rejected by Mr Cameron, the debates could still take place.
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