STV confirms job cuts and STV2 closure as part of restructure

● Glasgow-based broadcaster to cut posts in ‘hammer blow’ for journalism

Scotland’s leading commercial broadcaster has confirmed it will close one of its channels and shed jobs across its news team as part of a group-wide restructure.

STV will close the loss-making STV2 in June, with station bosses blaming the “challenging economics of local television and anticipated increased competition from BBC Scotland” for the decision.

The Scotsman understands 34 jobs in the news division are at risk - the majority of which are production roles - with a two-week period of voluntary redundancy being followed by a consultation.

Some staff reacted with anger at the station’s Glasgow headquarters yesterday following the announcement, which will see five local TV licences that were part of STV2 sold, and 25 roles associated with the channel cut.

Viewers in Edinburgh and the east coast will lose the separate edition of STV’S flagship evening news bulletin as a result of the changes. Instead, ten minutes of local content will be broadcast with the remainder of the 30 minute programme being produced by a central team in Glasgow.

STV said its broadcast business remained “strong” and was likely to outperform the ITV network due to a favourable deal which insulates STV from a decline in the national advertising market.

While the closure of STV2 was widely expected, one staff member told The Scotsman they were “stunned” at the scale of the changes.

STV has been undergoing a period of transition following the appointment of Simon Pitts as chief executive in August 2017.

Announcing a strategic review in March, Mr Pitts said the company’s performance had been resilient in what he described as a “tricky year” in the marketplace.

In a statement issued yesterday, the STV chief executive said the broadcaster remained committed to delivering the “best news service in Scotland” despite cut-backs.

Mr Pitts described the restructure as a “positive vision” that would “re-establish the company as a creative force in Scotland and beyond”.

He continued: “News is fundamental to the STV brand and we remain committed to offering the best news service in Scotland. However, given how quickly news consumption is changing it is vital that STV evolves to stay competitive.”

Scottish Conservative culture spokeswoman Rachael Hamilton said: “This is a hammer blow to broadcasting in Scotland, and to journalism here more generally.

“STV is a trusted news source and should be investing in people, not sacking them.

“At a time when the BBC is expanding in Scotland, and with talk of Channel 4 moving here, people will wonder what on earth STV management are doing.”