STV has announced plans to cut 60 jobs and merge its flagship evening bulletins, prompting warnings from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) that the changes will be “devastating” for staff and audiences.
The broadcaster is seeking £2.5m of savings by next year after reporting a £0.2m loss in the first half of 2025. Advertising revenues fell to £45m in the same period, compared to £50m last year, while the company’s share price dropped by a third in July following a profit warning.
Currently, STV provides two separate 6pm programmes: STV Central from Glasgow and STV North from Aberdeen. Under the new proposals, these will be replaced by a single programme from Glasgow with regional segments. The changes require Ofcom approval, with consultation expected to begin shortly.
Chief executive Rufus Radcliffe said the plans were necessary to adapt to shifting audience habits. “The way audiences consume news content is changing rapidly and fundamentally,” he said. “Our output needs to respond to that as linear viewing declines and digital consumption of news increases. The decisions we are making aim to protect our news service, which we are incredibly proud of, to ensure it is in the best possible shape for the future and changing consumption habits.”
The NUJ has condemned the plans, highlighting the loss of dedicated local coverage in the north of Scotland.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, said: “These are devastating cuts – not just affecting hard working local journalists, but for STV viewers generally, particularly those in the north of Scotland who will face seeing much loved local coverage axed.
“These proposed cuts threaten the high quality of local and national journalism produced by STV News staff across Scotland, and we will be meeting both with our members and with STV management to discuss next steps in opposing these cuts and protecting jobs and quality journalism.”
The move also represents the end of an era. The Aberdeen-based service is regarded as one of the last remnants of Grampian Television, which served the north from 1961 until its takeover by STV in 1997.
