Ofcom delays decision over STV news programme cuts

The TV regulator has delayed deciding whether to let STV make controversial changes to its news programmes.

The broadcaster wants to stop the separate news service for the north of Scotland and cut the amount of local news it shows.

Ofcom said the decision would now be made after May's Holyrood election - not before Easter, as had been planned.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called the delay "astonishing".

STV's plans have been condemned by the Scottish government, the leaders of all the main parties at Holyrood, unions and local politicians.

Ofcom said the delay was because of the large response to its consultation on the proposals which closed in early February.

A spokesperson said: "We are now aiming to publish our decision as soon as practicable after the Scottish parliamentary elections.

"This will give us time to engage with representations we have received throughout the process."

STV's plan would see the end of the entirely separate news service for the north of Scotland which is the legacy of the former Grampian Television.

All news programmes would be presented from Glasgow and viewers in both central and northern Scotland would see the same stories most of the time.

However, about a third of the main 18:00 programme would be different in each of the two regions.

STV said it would still have journalists in Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness and argued that the plan was designed to make the news service "sustainable".

The company has highlighted the long-term fall in TV viewing figures and falling advertising revenue.

The NUJ strongly condemned Ofcom for putting off the decision.

It claimed STV staff had been overstretched trying to produce its existing news service while they waited for Ofcom to make up its mind.

Scottish organiser Nick McGowan-Lowe said: "Either Ofcom choose to stand by their earlier statement that these proposed changes are 'the best thing for audiences', or they listen to the 83% of viewers in the north of Scotland, the leaders of the five main political parties and STV's own journalists.

"Whichever way they choose to decide, STV's viewers and journalists deserve to know the decision now and there is no sound reason why this decision should be delayed until after the Scottish elections."

STV is expected to provide an update on its efforts to make savings and the state of the advertising market when it publishes its annual results on Tuesday.

It is also involved in a dispute with the NUJ and the other main broadcasting union BECTU over a proposed pay freeze.

Both unions are currently holding strike votes. The results of these are due next week.

In January the NUJ held a one day strike over the news cuts and the risk of compulsory redundancies.

STV has been contacted for comment.