STV to cut 60 jobs and axe north news programme

STV is set to cut 60 jobs and axe its north of Scotland television news programme.

The broadcaster is seeking £2.5m of savings by next year, after announcing a £0.2m loss in the first six months of 2025.

It plans to replace its central belt and north of Scotland news with a single programme from Glasgow, with sections devoted to regional news.

The cancellation would require permission from the regulator Ofcom. It is expected to begin a consultation shortly.

It comes after advertising revenue fell to £45m compared to £50m in the same period last year.

In a statement, STV chief executive Rufus Radcliffe said: “The way audiences consume news content is changing rapidly and fundamentally.

“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.”

In July, STV’s share price fell by a third after it warned that profits would be lower than previously expected.

The company currently provides two distinct news services. One for the central belt based in Glasgow, the other for the north based in Aberdeen.

Its other main Scottish output is a current affairs programme, Scotland Tonight, shown four nights a week.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) described the cuts as “devasting”.

NUJ Organiser for Scotland Nick McGowan-Lowe said: “While there is no doubt that STV faces financial pressures and a decline of studio productions, none of that can be blamed on the hard-working journalists.

“These proposed cuts threaten the high quality of local and national journalism produced by STV News staff across Scotland.”

The challenges facing STV reflect difficulties across the TV industry.

Advertising revenue is falling, partly because viewers are turning away from traditional broadcast TV and partly because of wider economic issues.

This also means that many commercial channels are commissioning fewer programmes.

The broadcaster’s production business, STV Studios, makes programmes for a wide range of broadcasters and streaming services.

It recently announced plans for a new radio station and the ongoing development of its streaming service STV Player.

STV Radio – to be broadcast digitally and online – will be a music station and is due to go on the air in the next few months.