STV Plans Up to 60 Job Cuts Amid £0.2m Loss, £3m Cost-Saving Efforts

The Scottish broadcaster STV is facing significant financial challenges, including a £200,000 loss before tax in the first half of 2025 and a 10% drop in advertising revenue, leading to plans for £3 million in annual cost savings. As part of these measures, STV is set to cut around 60 jobs, approximately one in ten of its workforce, and remove its dedicated north of Scotland television news programme, consolidating regional news into a single main evening bulletin. These cuts have sparked concern and opposition from the Scottish Government and MSPs, who emphasize the importance of local journalism for democracy and rural communities. The National Union of Journalists is expected to challenge any compulsory redundancies, and Ofcom's approval is required for major changes to Scottish output. STV's CEO Rufus Radcliffe expressed confidence in navigating the difficult market conditions and highlighted ongoing projects such as the launch of STV Radio and strong viewership on the STV Player, despite the tough trading environment. The company is also trimming its unscripted production portfolio and has scrapped plans for an interim dividend to strengthen financial resilience.