Swinney ‘concerned’ at proposed job cuts and north news programme axe at STV

The First Minister has said he is “concerned” to hear about proposed job cuts announced by STV.

It is understood STV told staff on Thursday that it is set to cut 60 jobs and remove its dedicated north of Scotland television news programme.

The broadcaster plans to replace its central belt and north of Scotland news with a single programme from Glasgow, which will include sections devoted to regional news.

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

After MSPs shared their concerns over the proposals during First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood, John Swinney said: “Local journalism is absolutely important for the scrutiny of public policy at all levels in Scottish society.

“I was concerned to hear this morning of the reports about STV and also the news recently about the Daily Record.

“Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson has indicated to committee this morning that he will engage with STV, Ofcom and the trade unions to highlight our concerns, and we will give whatever assistance we can in this respect.

“It is an absolutely vital part of our democracy that we have sustained media engagement and the Government will do all they can to support those affected.”

He said all employees impacted have his “understanding and support”.

The broadcaster is seeking to make £2.5 million of savings by next year, after it reported a £0.2 million loss in the first six months of 2025.

STV acquired Grampian Television in 1997 which was a separate company that provided local news bulletins in the north of Scotland from 1961.

North East Scotland Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden expressed concerns over the specific announcement that the Aberdeen-based news programme is set to be removed.

Mr Lumsden said: “One of the big consequences will be far less local news that is not relevant to the north and north-east, so does the First Minister agree with me that this change is bad news for Scottish viewers, in particular for rural communities, and should be reconsidered as a matter of urgency?”

Mr Swinney agreed with Mr Lumsden’s concerns and said he will make sure they are reflected in the representations made by the Cabinet Secretary on the matter.

He also recognised STV’s “success” in reflecting regional issues, adding: “I understand one of the components of the STV proposal is that the Aberdeen news programme would potentially cease broadcasting.

“I do acknowledge that there are very different issues that affect communities around the country and STV are very successful at reflecting those different issues in different parts of the country.”

Rufus Radcliffe, STV chief executive, said: “I have every confidence that STV will navigate the currently difficult trading environment in both our key markets, successfully implement our FastFwd strategy, and deliver sustainable value to our shareholders.

“We recognise that our cost savings programme impacts colleagues across the business, and we are committed to supporting people through this change.

“These steps are necessary to strengthen our financial resilience and position STV for long-term growth.

“The launch of STV Radio is on track, viewing on the STV Player is at an all-time high, and we are delighted that Army Of Shadows has been commissioned by Channel 4 from Two Cities.”

David Higgerson, chief content officer at Reach, which owns a raft of newspaper titles including the Daily Record, said: “Our new structure represents the biggest reorganisation we’ve ever undertaken, even more than in the early days of the digital revolution.

“The changes we are seeing in the landscape right now demand a wholesale change in how we operate and how we tell stories.

“For our editorial teams, we will need to adopt a different way of working from top to bottom, as we match our resources to our ambitions. It will mean that some jobs will sadly no longer exist, many will change, and around 135 new roles will be created, many in our live news network and video teams.”