STV staff to strike on election results day

Journalists and some technical staff at broadcaster STV are to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday over a pay freeze.

The company said it will mean no Scottish news bulletins or programmes on the day the results of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections are announced.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and TV union Bectu argue that the freeze amounts to a cut in wages.

STV said it understood the challenge for staff, but insisted the move was necessary to put the company on a strong financial footing.

Although Scottish news and election coverage will be lost, ITV network programmes and adverts will still go out as normal.

STV's scheduled election programme at 17:00 will be replaced by the episode of the quiz show The Chase being shown on the network.

Paul McManus, Bectu negotiations officer for Scotland, said: "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 with details of the Scottish election results and analysis.

This would have led into its main 18:00 news programme.

At 19:30, it had planned to show 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 the STV News at Six.

There will still be some Scottish election coverage within the ITV network news which is made by ITN.

A spokesperson for STV said 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."

STV provides the channel 3 service in most of Scotland and owns a production business which makes programmes for others.

STV has been in a difficult financial situation because of a fall in traditional TV advertising.

It led to a drop in the share price and a headline loss.

Broadcast regulator Ofcom told BBC Scotland News that STV would not breach its broadcasting licence requirements because of the strike.

That is because there is no specific requirement to provide a news service each and every day.

Ofcom also allows licence commitments to be missed in exceptional circumstances such as industrial disputes.

The pay dispute is distinct from a row over STV's plans to end the entirely separate news service for the north of Scotland which is the legacy of the former Grampian Television.

Ofcom is expected to say within the next few weeks whether it will allow this to happen.

Nick McGowan-Lowe, the NUJ's Scottish organiser, said it would be "embarrassing" for STV to broadcast reruns over 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 as to how underworked and underpaid they are.

"Chief executive Rufus Radcliffe has once again failed to grasp the opportunity to end this dispute."

Away from the specifics of the STV dispute, there are underlying issues affecting commercial broadcasters that also have public service commitments.

STV - like other commercial channels - has been affected by falling TV advertising. Ratings are in long-term decline. Some people do not watch linear TV at all.

STV's licence to broadcast on channel 3 means it has legal commitments which others do not have.

The principal one is to provide Scottish news and current affairs. This contributes to the company's reputation, but little advertising is shown around the news.

The news is, in effect, subsidised by the rest of the schedule.

STV argues that its legal commitments to news need to change to make sure the service is sustainable. This is why it wants to cut the separate service for the north. A decision from the regulator on whether to allow this is due soon.

Keeping costs under control across the business is also behind the pay freeze.

It has been becoming harder for all commercial broadcasters to fund loss-making public service commitments.

If these commitments are considered to be of importance to the whole of society, are there ways of helping to ensure they remain sustainable?

Is it no longer reasonable to compel commercial broadcasters to show programmes which do not make money?

Or do regulatory requirements need to be enforced more strictly?