Journalists and some technical staff at broadcaster STV are set to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday due to a pay freeze. The company stated that this action would result in no Scottish news bulletins or programmes being aired on the day the results of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections are announced.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and TV union Bectu contend that the pay freeze effectively constitutes a wage cut. STV acknowledged the challenges faced by its staff but maintained that the measure was essential to ensure the company’s strong financial stability.
While Scottish news and election coverage will be impacted, ITV network programmes and advertisements will still be broadcast as usual. STV’s scheduled election programme at 17:00 will be replaced by an episode of the quiz show “The Chase” from the network.
Paul McManus, Bectu negotiations officer for Scotland, stated: “Staff at STV have been left with no choice but to take this action. They are being asked to take a real-terms pay cut against the backdrop of rocketing prices and when they are already overworked. As usual, it is workers being asked to take the financial hit while STV seems able to find money to invest in other areas of the business.”
STV’s original schedule for Friday included a special programme at 17:00 featuring details of the Scottish election results and analysis. This was intended to lead into its main 18:00 news programme. At 19:30, the broadcaster had planned to air its current affairs programme “Scotland Tonight,” which would have reflected on the election result. An episode of the Scottish travel series “Sean’s Scotland” will be shown instead of “STV News at Six.” There will still be some Scottish election coverage within the ITV network news, produced by ITN.
A spokesperson for STV stated that the company had to take steps to “respond to market conditions facing the media sector.” They added: “We recognise a temporary salary freeze is challenging for colleagues. Returning the business to a strong financial footing is our priority and will protect the long-term interests of our colleagues. We are disappointed that the unions’ chosen day of action will impact our on-air audiences, and we remain committed to continuing the dialogue with the joint unions.”
‘Failure’ to End Dispute
STV provides the Channel 3 service across most of Scotland and operates a production business that creates programmes for other broadcasters. STV has faced a challenging financial situation due to a decline in traditional TV advertising. This has resulted in a drop in share price and a reported headline loss.
Broadcast regulator Ofcom informed BBC Scotland News that STV would not breach its broadcasting licence requirements due to the strike. This is because there is no specific requirement to provide a news service every single day. Ofcom also permits licence commitments to be missed in exceptional circumstances, such as industrial disputes.
The current pay dispute is separate from a disagreement over STV’s plans to discontinue the distinct news service for the north of Scotland, a legacy of the former Grampian Television. Ofcom is expected to announce its decision on whether to permit this change within the next few weeks.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the NUJ’s Scottish organiser, commented that it would be “embarrassing” for STV to broadcast reruns instead of election coverage. He added: “Our members would much rather be reporting the election results than standing on picket lines, but they have been driven to this action by management indifference regarding how underworked and underpaid they are. Chief executive Rufus Radcliffe has once again failed to grasp the opportunity to end this dispute.”
Analysis: Hard Times for Commercial Broadcasters
Beyond the specifics of the STV dispute, there are underlying issues impacting commercial broadcasters that also carry public service commitments. STV, like other commercial channels, has been affected by declining TV advertising. Ratings are in long-term decline, and some people no longer watch linear TV at all.
STV’s licence to broadcast on Channel 3 entails legal commitments that other broadcasters may not have. The principal commitment is to provide Scottish news and current affairs. While this contributes to the company’s reputation, little advertising revenue is generated around news broadcasts. The news service is, in effect, subsidised by the rest of the programming schedule.
STV argues that its legal commitments to news need to be revised to ensure the service’s sustainability. This is why it seeks to cut the separate news service for the north of Scotland. A regulatory decision on this matter is expected soon. Cost control across the entire business is also a driving factor behind the pay freeze.
It has become increasingly difficult for all commercial broadcasters to fund loss-making public service commitments. If these commitments are deemed important to society as a whole, are there ways to help ensure their sustainability? Is it no longer reasonable to compel commercial broadcasters to air programmes that do not generate revenue? Or do regulatory requirements need to be enforced more strictly?
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