STAFF at stv were yesterday safe from job cuts announced at ITV, and the Scottish Organiser of the National Union of Journalists says he is optimistic it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Yesterday, ITV announced plans to cut 430 jobs in its regional news service, in response to reducing advertising income.
Last week, the proposal – which will affect 40 per cent of news staff across the ITV regions (which do not include stv or sister station, stv north) – received approval from the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom.
Ofcom last week issued its second review of public service broadcasting – of which news and current affairs form a core part – ahead of a final review next year.
But Paul Holleran, Scottish Organiser of the NUJ, said that both the NUJ and broadcasting and entertainment union, Bectu, were involved in talks with stv’s owners – now called stv group plc – with a view to perhaps increasing the station’s PSB output.
He said: “We have had very positive discussions, I’d say stv’s owners are making it clear they want to work with the NUJ and Bectu to find ways of maintaining their PSB output, if not even increasing it.
“Together, for instance, we are to present to the Scottish Parliament our views on PSB. There seems to be a determination among all of us to avoid any reduction in stv’s news and current affairs.”
