Media regulator Ofcom has approved STV’s plan to overhaul its Scottish news programmes, paving the way for more shared content across its regional bulletins and significant changes to long‑standing local services. The broadcaster argued the move was necessary to modernise its output and reflect changing viewing habits, while critics fear it will dilute regional coverage, particularly in the north of Scotland.
Under the approved proposals, STV will be allowed to share more material across its flagship 6pm programmes, reducing the amount of fully distinct content produced for different parts of the country. The plans are part of a wider restructuring that includes cutting the dedicated north of Scotland news programme, which has served audiences in areas such as Aberdeen and Inverness for decades.
STV has maintained that the changes will help it remain financially sustainable while investing more in digital and online news services for Scottish audiences. Executives have framed the shake‑up as a way to better align resources with how viewers now consume news, pointing to increased on‑demand viewing and social media as key drivers.
The decision has prompted anger among some viewers, politicians and campaigners who argue that scrapping the north‑focused programme will weaken coverage of Highland, island and north‑east stories that are already under‑reported nationally. Critics also warn that centralising news production in Glasgow risks narrowing editorial perspectives and undermining the principle of genuinely regional public service broadcasting in Scotland.
Ofcom said: “We are of the view that STV’s proposals to share more of its news programming across its two licence areas and remove the requirement to produce sub-regional opts will allow ST to continue to serve audiences with high-quality regional news.”
STV’s CEO, Rufus Radcliffe, said: “We’re incredibly proud of STV News at 6, which remains Scotland’s most watched news programme, but like all Public Service Media companies, we must respond to the significant shift in audience behaviour.
“The changes Ofcom has approved to our licences will enable us to continue serving viewers with the high-quality, trusted national and regional news they expect from us. Crucially, this will be sustainable for our business and will be accessible on air and across all the digital platforms viewers now expect.
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“As a commercial Public Service Broadcaster, that receives no public funding, we are focused on the future and what we do best – trusted news and high-quality content that continues to resonate with audiences across all of Scotland.”
The move comes amid a broader trend of UK broadcasters reshaping their news schedules, including cutbacks and format changes at the BBC Scotland channel in recent years. Industry observers say the STV decision highlights the tension between cost‑saving and digital investment on one hand, and meaningful regional representation on the other, at a time when trust in news and scrutiny of local institutions remain vital.
