STV boss Simon Pitts has admitted a restructure at the troubled broadcaster could impact on quality of its news programmes.

A recording of the comments, made during crunch talks with staff facing redundancy, emerged as Pitts came under mounting political pressure to rethink the overhaul which has put 59 jobs at risk, prompting the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) to threaten strike action.

The SNP’s media spokeswoman, Hannah Bardell MP, wrote a stinging letter to Pitts on Friday which accused him of pressing ahead with his vision while failing to have a substantial plan.

STV is cutting 25 jobs at the loss-making STV2 channel, which is closing, and 34 jobs will go at STV News. The HQ in Glasgow is losing 18 staff, Edinburgh is losing seven, and Aberdeen and Dundee will lose nine in total.

The cuts are aimed at saving up to £2 million a year – including £600,000 from the closure of STV2. Although STV’s pre-tax profit fell by £300,000 last year, the company still made £18m.

STV awarded Simon Pitts a golden hello worth £853,000 when he replaced Rob Woodward as chief executive in January. The payments were to compensate him for rewards he gave up on leaving ITV, where he was managing director for online, pay TV, interactive and technology.

One member of staff at STV, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s a dreadful place to be at the moment. Everybody is livid, absolutely up in arms, at the way this has been handled. Staff morale is through the floor. We’re being treated with contempt.”

A colleague, who also asked to remain anonymous, added: “Some people were told minutes before they went on air that their jobs are at risk. Some haven’t been told anything yet. I understand that tough decisions have to be made but what I find beyond belief is the way this has been conveyed to staff.”

In the recording of a meeting between staff and STV management, Pitts said a combination of a lack of information and short redundancy deadlines has “created an impression we are careering towards those deadlines and you haven’t got the information you need to make any sort of decisions”.

The details of the restructure are yet to emerge, but it is understood many of the remaining staff will have to retrain to become self-shooting video journalists (VJs) who can work alone to produce content for television and online, including live appearances.

Pitts said there was a perception among staff that when the deadlines arrived “lots of people will leave the building on that date and the slack will all be picked up by everyone else”. He added: “That isn’t the case and if that impression has been created it’s our fault.”

The retraining of staff will be a lengthy process which could impact on quality, according to Pitts. In the private meeting with staff Pitts admitted: “It’s going to take months for journalists who aren’t trained as VJs to train as VJs. Not just the training itself but also delivering the quality needed to be on screen. That is a lot of trial and error. People who have gone through it already will know it’s not a fast process.”

Pitts went on to underline his point by saying there would be “months of training before we can be confident enough it won’t impact on quality”.

In Bardell’s letter to Pitts, which was released to the Sunday Herald by the SNP, she said: “It cannot be advisable for any business or organisation to embark on such changes, with such significant impact and human cost, without having a clear plan of how and why it is doing it. It seems from the discussions I’ve had very few people are clear what the plan or strategy is, for either STV2 or the jobs in the news room.”

Bardell, who previously worked for ITV programme GMTV, also asked Pitts to “give serious consideration to putting a pause on the cuts until a coherent plan and strategy can be expressed and readily understood”.

She added: “Visions are all very well but substantial plans, with staff input, are what STV's employees need.”

A meeting between senior STV management and union representatives was held on Friday and STV insiders who are in the NUJ said it “achieved very little”.

An email sent to union members, seen by the Sunday Herald, said: “Management could not, or would not, talk beyond our position on balloting for industrial action ... management believe our ballot is casting a ‘shadow’ over the consultation period. They also stated they categorically could not take the proposals off the table.”

STV bosses offered to extend the consultation period until June 29 and the voluntary redundancy deadline until June 16 if union members agreed to delay formal notification of a ballot for strike action by two weeks.

It is understood formal legal notice was lodged by the NUJ on Friday and STV staff will meet on Tuesday morning to decide whether to “rescind” it. If union members vote against rescinding the formal notice, the ballot will go ahead as planned and it is understood management will stick to the current consultation deadline of June 16 and the voluntary redundancy deadline of May 31.

NUJ national organiser for Scotland, John Toner, said Bardell’s letter to Pitts “raises many of our concerns”.

He said: “I wouldn’t like to predict how Simon Pitts will respond, but we continue to hope that a different course of action will be taken.”

Toner added: “Those staff who remain will face the uncertainty of adapting to new requirements and different workloads, whilst striving to maintain quality.”

An STV spokeswoman said the company was working with unions on the implementation of a “three-year growth plan which will invest £15m in new programming for Scottish audiences, improving the digital and news service”.

She added: “Through investment in technology, connectivity and training of our news teams, STV news will become a truly multi-platform news provider.

“As a commercial public service broadcaster, we have had to make some difficult choices in our strategic plan. Our decision to close STV2 was not an easy one, but redirecting our investment into new programming for STV and the STV Player will offer more choice for Scottish viewers as well as reaching new audiences.”

She added: "Concerns have been expressed about ensuring the quality of our output is maintained. This will be achieved through an extensive training programme and a managed transition which we expect will not be completed until late this year. This will secure the high quality standards that define STV News."

HANNAH BARDELL MP’S LETTER TO SIMON PITTS

Dear Simon,

Future of STV

I write in reference to the future of STV and the recent news of cuts and changes to STV2 and STV news.

Having spoken to a number of people at STV both of these announcements are clearly having a devastating impact on staff morale and pose a significant threat to the quality and future of STV.

A diverse and distinct media in Scotland is vital and STV is an important part of that. At a time when there is an increase in channels, content and output the role of a commercial broadcaster in Scotland is vital to our media eco system.

As someone who spent 2 years working for GMTV I saw the deeply disappointing dismantling of a successful and distinct programme when ITV took over. I’m sure you remember well the move away from GMTV to the failed ‘Daybreak’ programme.

You’ll therefore appreciate the scepticism of many given previous behaviour of ITV toward smaller brands and broadcasters.

I note your comments in the Sunday Times that cuts are not yet ‘set in stone’. However, I understand that a process has already started of consulting staff without any coherent strategy - creating a significant level of stress and upheaval.

It cannot be advisable for any business or organisation to embark on such changes, with such significant impact and human cost, without having a clear plan of how and why it is doing it. It seems from the discussions I’ve had very few people are clear what the plan or strategy is, for either STV2 or the jobs in the news room.

I know you have been in touch to meet and set out your vision, I look forward to discussing that with you, in the meantime perhaps you and your management team can give serious consideration to putting a pause on the cuts until a coherent plan and strategy can be expressed and readily understood. Visions are all very well but substantial plans, with staff input, are what the STV's employees need.

The public outcry and support for retaining STV as an independent commercial Scottish public service broadcaster has been overwhelming. Many are ready and willing to fight for the survival of STV. I hope you can take that into consideration as you and your board develop your plans. I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Hannah