STV has acquired a majority stake in unscripted producer Primal Media in a move it said would help it realise its vision to build a production business based in Scotland that “takes full advantage of growing local and global demand for high-quality content”.

Primal Media has created programmes including Release the Hounds (ITV2).

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Simon Pitts, STV chief executive, said: “With a new team fully in place we are building real momentum and delivering encouraging results.

"Programming successes like recent drama The Victim for BBC One demonstrate our growing creative strength, and the acquisition of Primal Media - whose founders have an unrivalled track record of devising hit entertainment formats - will further strengthen our creative pipeline.”