Staff at STV are walking out in response to proposed changes to the broadcaster’s news output, which include replacing the north of Scotland edition of STV News at 6 with a single programme based in Glasgow.
Footage released from the protests shows protesters holding signs saying “support local news” and chanting “stop the cuts!”.
There have been 14 voluntary redundancies across the news teams in Scotland, plus three compulsory redundancies planned at the Glasgow office.
Picket line outside the STV studios in Glasgow this morning, Wednesday where journalists at the broadcaster took part in a day of strike action over proposed cuts. (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns)
A worker on the picket line spoke to the Glasgow Times. They said: “It’s just been a catastrophic failure of communication and management, the lack of dignity and respect that has been shown to people who have been at the coal face, who’ve gone to work every single day to make this the most watched news programme in the country, is astonishing.
“The figures circulated on the first day back of STV News this year showed a massive audience for the news.
“And to be told constantly that we’re a cost, to feel like we’re underappreciated, we’re undervalued, is appalling.
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“We’re now in a situation where people are choosing to leave STV News. And that’s quite s**t.”
When asked what people will miss when they turn on their TVs to find there’s no Scottish news bulletins today, the worker said: “Local news has never mattered more.
“News has never mattered more. We live in an age of disinformation, and it’s really, really important that there is a news service that people trust and can rely on to tell them the truth about what’s going on in their local area, and the news isn’t just about the hard and the big stuff.
“The news is about celebrating local people’s achievements.
“It’s about highlighting the plight of a local sports club. It’s about telling an audience about some amazing volunteering work that’s been done.
The strikers chanted “stop the cuts” (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns)
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Passing vehicles beeped their horns in support (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns)
“It’s about raising awareness of a whole range of issues. And if that goes, that’s a real shame.”
Under the new plans, just 30% of the content would be dedicated to the north, and up to 60 jobs are at risk as a result of the proposals.
A total of 94% of National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members who voted supported strike action, with 98% backing action short of a strike.
Picket lines are due to be set up outside STV’s Glasgow offices from 8.30am to 1pm and at its Aberdeen offices from 11am to 1pm.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, said: “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.
“It is not too late for management to rethink their plans and avoid damaging strikes.”
The NUJ has criticised the broadcaster’s changes, calling them “bad for viewers” and “bad for journalism” in northern Scotland.
STV bosses had originally planned to replace both the central belt and northern editions of the programme with a single bulletin from Glasgow, but these were “watered down” by STV bosses.
An STV spokesperson said: “The NUJ’s action is ill-timed as consultation with unions and colleagues is ongoing and significant progress has been made in reducing the impact on jobs.
“As a result of our cost savings plan, 28 roles are impacted across our newsrooms, the majority of which have been achieved through voluntary redundancy or redeployment.
“Our request to Ofcom for changes to the news commitments in our licences, which they propose to accept, ensures the delivery of newsgathering and coverage right across Scotland on a sustainable basis for the company, and sees the expansion of our digital news service in response to changing news consumption.
“STV is a commercial business with public service commitments, which we are incredibly proud of, but for which we receive no public funding, and our proposals will protect our valued news service in the face of a dramatically changing media landscape.”
The broadcaster said the cuts are part of a wider cost-saving strategy, and that most of the affected jobs have been addressed through voluntary redundancy or redeployment.
STV has also applied to Ofcom to amend its news delivery commitments.
The broadcaster said Ofcom has proposed accepting these changes.
STV said these changes would allow the company to maintain coverage “right across Scotland” in a financially sustainable way.
The plans also involve growing the broadcaster’s digital news output to reflect evolving audience habits.