Journalists at STV are preparing for a one-day strike on Tuesday, January 7, 2026, in a deepening dispute over proposed job cuts and significant changes to the broadcaster’s news programmes. The industrial action, called by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), is expected to cause considerable disruption or cancellation of news broadcasts across Scotland.
The strike date was originally chosen to coincide with the launch of STV’s new national digital radio station, STV Radio. However, STV has since brought forward the radio station’s debut to Monday, January 6, aiming to circumvent any direct impact from the industrial action.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the NUJ’s Scottish organiser, has strongly criticised STV’s management, stating:
“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.”
STV’s plans involve merging its two historically separate news services – one for the central belt and another for the north of Scotland, a legacy of Grampian Television. The proposed changes would see the main 18:00 news programme primarily broadcast across both regions, with only around nine minutes of dedicated northern Scotland content. This also implies a reduction in purely local stories for central belt viewers.
Responding to the strike announcement, STV stated: “The NUJ has notified us of their decision to take action on 7 January. This won’t impact the launch of STV Radio, an exciting new growth venture for the business.”
The broadcaster contends these changes are crucial for long-term sustainability, citing declining advertising revenue and falling viewing figures. STV’s interim results for the first half of 2025, published in September, revealed a 10% drop in Total Advertising Revenue (TAR) to £45.6 million and a 37% decline in adjusted operating profit to £6.7 million, leading to a pre-tax loss of £0.2 million. This followed a profit warning issued in July 2025. The company’s share price has reflected these challenges, falling over 55% in the last 12 months, with its market capitalisation around £50 million.
STV launched its new radio station with a reported investment of approximately £500,000, and it is not expected to turn a profit until 2027. The NUJ has controversially suggested that this new venture is being funded “at the expense of journalists’ jobs” and by scaling back journalism in the north of Scotland.
Regulatory body Ofcom is currently consulting on STV’s proposed alterations to its Channel 3 licence commitments for news, having indicated its preliminary approval for the changes. While Ofcom regulates regional programming quotas, its mandate does not extend to employment decisions. The regulator has previously highlighted the critical challenges facing traditional UK broadcasters, warning that the news environment could become “irreparably” fractured without significant overhauls. Despite these pressures, regional news remains highly valued by over 70% of viewers.
This is not the first industrial action at STV; NUJ members previously undertook two one-day strikes over pay in March and May 2024, which resulted in the temporary suspension of news programmes.
