Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has told STV bosses he is “deeply concerned” about plans which could see jobs cut and a dedicated news programme for the north of Scotland axed.
Mr Robertson has written to STV chief executive Rufus Radcliffe about the impact cost-saving proposals could have, particularly on the broadcaster’s Aberdeen newsroom.
It comes as STV is seeking to make £2.5 million of savings by next year, with First Minister John Swinney having already said he is “concerned” about the proposals.
The Culture Secretary stressed while the internal structures of STV were a matter for the company and its board, “the Scottish Government is concerned by proposals that put sustainable Scottish jobs and the outputs of STV services at risk”.
STV is understood to have told staff on Thursday that up to 60 jobs could be cut along with the removal of its dedicated north of Scotland television news programme.
The broadcaster plans to replace its central belt and north of Scotland news with a single programme from Glasgow, which will include sections devoted to regional news.
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The cancellation would require permission from the regulator Ofcom and it is expected to begin a consultation shortly.
In his letter to Mr Radcliffe, the Culture Secretary accepted STV is “facing challenging financial circumstances and working to adapt to a changing environment”.
But Mr Robertson insisted he is “deeply concerned that these moves will see significant reductions in news provision and public service broadcasting in Scotland”.
The Culture Secretary continued: “The sustainability of quality news from reliable sources is crucial in the fight against false or misleading information.
“It is alarming to see decisions to reduce services and resources of news provision across the country, particularly given STV’s public service commitments to invest in news and help tackle misinformation.
“It is also a worrying step backwards when we are seeing these trends throughout the sector in response to advertising downturns and financial challenges.”
Mr Robertson said he would “continue to champion stronger journalism and a Scottish broadcasting sector”, adding he would also “urge STV against any decisions that would result in further reduction in news reporting in Scotland, redundancies of Scottish-based staff and erosion of trust in STV’s operations and output in Scotland”.
Mr Radcliffe said earlier this week he has “every confidence that STV will navigate the currently difficult trading environment” and go on to deliver “sustainable value to our shareholders”.
The chief executive added: “We recognise that our cost savings programme impacts colleagues across the business and we are committed to supporting people through this change.
“These steps are necessary to strengthen our financial resilience and position STV for long-term growth.”
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