STV is set to scale back its regional news programming in Northern and Central Scotland, after submitting amended proposals to broadcast regulator Ofcom.
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STV News at Six bulletin spared full merger: part of the programme will remain separate.
Dundee and Edinburgh opt-outs will disappear with Ofcom’s backing.
Ofcom points to growth of hyperlocal online news; DCMS points to audiences feeling underserved by local news.
The proposed changes will see STV’s regional news bulletins through the day and weekend combined permanently. Ofcom indicated it is likely to approve the move following a short public consultation launched today.
STV had already submitted proposals to Ofcom to merge its separate regional news output into a single service covering its entire broadcast area. Following feedback from politicians, the revised plan will see some regionalised content remain in STV’s 6pm news.
Specifically, the flagship STV News at Six will share around 70% of its content in both of its broadcast areas. The remaining 30% of the programme will be made up of different content for viewers in Central and Northern Scotland. STV will continue to operate a newsgathering base in the former Grampian TV region.
Additionally, the five‑minute opt‑outs for Dundee and Edinburgh will close.
This move should allow STV to reduce regionalised versions of the channel on Freeview SD, cable and satellite to accommodate the opt-outs. However, by doing so, it would forego the option to carry local adverts. The version of STV HD on Freeview HD is not regionalised.
By combining bulletins, STV News will in terms of editorial area more closely match its BBC rival Reporting Scotland. Unlike STV, the BBC has never split its TV news service for Scotland into smaller local areas.
There are no changes to channel 3 provision in Southern Scotland, where ITV holds the Channel 3 broadcast licence.
Why the need for cuts at STV?
According to STV’s submission to Ofcom, the cuts are driven by changing viewing habits and financial pressures. With more audiences turning to online platforms for local updates, STV argues it has become harder for Public Service Broadcasters to balance rising costs with demand for content across TV, web, and mobile.
Ofcom backed the move. It said the removal of Dundee and Edinburgh’s short bulletins was “appropriate” given the shift towards hyperlocal news online.
Ofcom’s statement coincided with a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) green paper announcement highlighting research from the Reuters Institute. It found many UK audiences feel underserved by local news. The DCMS noted that the decline of high-quality local news sources fuelled social unrest in the summer of 2024.
In the meantime, the DCMS is exploring proposals that could see the BBC provide extra support to independent local news providers.
What happened to STV’s local TV venture?
Ten years ago, STV launched new local channels for Glasgow and Edinburgh. The local service was expanded to Ayr, Aberdeen and Dundee in 2017 and rebranded STV2. The channel closed down in 2018. Its replacement That’s TV Scotland produces very little online news content; its news barely registers in the ratings. In 2024, That’s TV was found to have breached its licence terms by failing to maintain a sufficient local presence. Ofcom also found the channel failed to meet quotas for local news, but renewed its licence anyway.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: STV