Journalists at Scottish broadcaster STV are set to walk out on strike in the new year, escalating a major row over planned changes to regional news coverage.
Strike action confirmed for January 7
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has confirmed that its members at STV will take industrial action on January 7, 2025. This date was originally slated for the launch of STV's new radio venture, but the broadcaster has since moved that launch forward by 24 hours to Tuesday, January 6, in an attempt to avoid disruption.
The strike follows a ballot in which 94% of NUJ members voted in favour of taking action. The core of the dispute centres on STV's controversial plans to alter its news programming structure, particularly affecting the north of Scotland.
Controversial changes to regional news
STV had initially proposed replacing its separate central belt and north of Scotland news programmes with a single, consolidated show broadcast from Glasgow. Following backlash, these plans were modified, but the union says the revised proposal remains deeply flawed.
The new structure will see the flagship STV News At 6 programme produced and presented from Glasgow, with only approximately 30% of the content being specific to the north of Scotland. The NUJ has condemned the move, stating it will be "bad for viewers" and "bad for journalism" in the region.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, expressed the members' frustration: "Our members are angry at the lack of leadership from the top of the company, angry at management’s handling of the proposed changes, and angry that their colleagues are facing compulsory redundancies because of the company’s financial mismanagement." He added that it was not too late for management to rethink and avoid damaging strikes.
STV's position and cost-saving measures
In response, an STV spokesperson acknowledged the notification of strike action but emphasised it would not impact the launch of STV Radio. The broadcaster defended its strategy, stating the radio investment is a growth venture designed to drive profitable revenue.
The spokesperson argued that this revenue is needed to support its multimillion-pound news operation, which they claim is "not financially sustainable in its current form" and receives no public funding. STV has requested changes to its Ofcom licence commitments, which the regulator proposes to accept, to ensure newsgathering across Scotland is on a sustainable footing.
As part of a cost-saving plan, 28 roles are impacted across STV's newsrooms. The company states the majority of these have been addressed through voluntary redundancy or redeployment.
The stage is now set for a disruptive start to 2025 for the broadcaster, with journalists taking a stand to protect regional news output in Scotland.
