Hubbry Logo
Scottish TelevisionScottish TelevisionMain
Open search
Scottish Television
Community hub
Scottish Television
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV network franchisee for Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation since 31 August 1957 and is the second-oldest franchise holder in the UK that is still active (the oldest being Granada Television).

Key Information

STV Central broadcasts from studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow and is owned and operated by STV Group (formerly SMG plc), which also owns the Northern Scotland franchise, Grampian Television (now STV North), based in Aberdeen. It produces news for the west and east halves of its transmission region (STV News at Six) along with current affairs and feature programming for Northern and Central Scotland.

Along with STV North and ITV Border, STV Central is a commercial rival to the publicly funded national broadcaster, BBC Scotland.

History

[edit]
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Scottish Television.

Scottish Television was founded by Canadian newspaper magnate Roy Thomson (later Lord Thomson). To base the station, he bought the Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Howard & Wyndham Ltd, who became minor partners in the new venture. Thomson invited Canadian television producer Rai Purdy to become the station's first head of programming. In the months leading up to opening night, Purdy pledged that the new channel would provide "first class entertainment" and "as much cultural programming as possible" as well as allowing "Scottish talent every opportunity to develop and be seen on STV".[1]

Pre-Launch

[edit]

On 24 May 1955, a letter from the Independent Television Authority advised him that on the following Wednesday a press conference would be held in the North British Hotel, Edinburgh (which was to announce that he had been awarded the contract to set up a Scottish television company). The press release handed out at the conference stated that the transmitting station and aerials, which Thomson would have to rent from the ITA, would be ready for service in August 1957. Roy Thomson signed the contract with the ITA on 19 June 1957.[2][3] The launch of a second television channel required alterations to people's television sets and/or aerials. Older sets had to be converted with an additional tuning device, and even for newer sets which had this tuner already built-in, an additional aerial was required. With nearly half a million sets and aerials in Scotland, it was going to be a huge undertaking. When independent television began in England, everybody wanted their sets converted at the same time and radio dealers could not cope with the last-minute rush. The problem was exacerbated by a shortage of radio and television mechanics. In order to avoid similar chaos in Scotland, STV (in association with the television trade) arranged a series of 21 exhibitions in the principal towns and burghs in the reception area months ahead of launch.[2][3]

The Exhibitions ran from Tuesday until Friday and were open from 14:30–21:30. The admission charge was 1/- for adults, 6d for children and old age pensioners. Every visitor to the Exhibition received a free copy of a 24-page Television Guide, which gave them a colourful picture of the programmes they would see on Scottish ITV. Every set in the Exhibition showed either BBC output or the new commercial programme. The latter was relayed through closed circuit from telecine equipment housed in a specially-constructed Morris Commercial vehicle, specially constructed for the exhibitions and carrying equipment valued at over £10,000.[3] In an adjoining hall, a cinema show was staged. This showed samples of the programmes STV would be presenting, including American attractions such as I Love Lucy, Brave Eagle, and Douglas Fairbanks Presents, as well as home-grown shows Sunday Night at the Palladium and The 64,000 Question, and advertising films. Also featured was a film of local interest, taken by STV's outside broadcasting (OB) unit a few days prior to the show, showing crowd scenes and various local activities. This offered the enticing prospect of exhibition visitors seeing themselves on television and thus finding out they were already "television stars"! The Pye OB unit, which cost £37,000 and was housed in a specially constructed vehicle, was on show outside the hall. A TV camera which was on display at the STV stand proved to be a big attraction. People standing around near the camera found that their images were being projected on screens at the other end of the hall.[3]

Thomson said that, in initial stages, he expected to produce about ten hours a week of Scottish programmes. This was at a time when, under the terms of the Television Act, they were limited to a programme schedule of 50 hours a week. "It will certainly make the Scottish station very Scottish indeed in its programme content," he said.[4] They planned a talent show, Fanfare; a quiz programme; a play presented once a month or each alternate month, chosen from either the Citizen's, Glasgow, the Gateway, Edinburgh, or the theatres in Perth or Dundee. There would also be a series, The Tamsons, about a Scottish family — but the problem was going to be finding someone who could write this, as not many Scots were experienced in writing for television. Scotsplay was also planned as a children's programme, while In Heaven and Earth was described by Purdy as "our big cultural effort", which would "contain a bit of anything and everything culturally interesting, provocative, or entertaining"; it would run for half an hour. British news would be featured twice a day, followed by Scottish news.[5] In July, it was announced that the Scottish actor James Robertson Justice, a Rank Organization film star, would introduce STV's opening programme, This is Scotland.[6]

1950s

[edit]

Scottish Television began broadcasting at 5:30 pm on Saturday 31 August 1957 with This is Scotland, an hour-long variety broadcast live from the Theatre Royal studios[7] – STV was the seventh ITV franchise to launch, and the first outside the three largest regions (London, the Midlands and Northern England), as well as the first to broadcast seven days a week.[citation needed] Scottish Television’s first sport-related programme was "Fanfare", which debuted on September 2, 1957 where, compered by Archie McCulloch, supporters of rival football club competed against one another each Monday.[citation needed]

1960s

[edit]

The company broadcast musical entertainment, variety, documentary films presented by Dr John Grierson, and Scottish sports coverage. It also sponsored Scottish Opera and televised live opera and ballet, networking more opera than similar television companies.[8] Much of the station's early output was provided by ATV, under a ten-year deal worth £1 million per year. By 1965, ATV's senior producer Francis Essex[9] had become Scottish's programming controller.

However, the station had also gained a reputation for low budget, entertainment-driven programming. It was jokingly said that STV only owned two pieces of equipment; one telecine to show western films and another to show the commercials.[10] Lord Thomson was also criticised, for using much of the profits generated by Scottish Television to further gain his interests in the newspaper industry, rather than reinvesting into the station.[11]

In 1965, the chairman of the Independent Television Authority Charles Hill paid a visit to STV's Glasgow studios during which he observed an edition of the popular daytime entertainment show The One O'Clock Gang. He was so appalled by it that he personally axed the programme with the words My God, how long have you been getting away with this?.[12]

From the launch of the station, television for schools was pioneered in association with Glasgow Corporation, and post graduate television services initiated, including surgery, in conjunction with universities. Programmes were devised for the emerging countries in the British Commonwealth, and the Thomson Foundation was created to educate and train television producers, journalists and engineers, this operated from Kirkhill House – a bespoke studio complex near Newton Mearns. Programmes from TFTC (Thomson Foundation Television College) were never seen by STV's viewers, but much of STV's redundant equipment found a new home at the studios, including STV's first outside broadcast unit.[citation needed]

Although the early days of the ITV network were a financial gamble, the STV service soon became profitable, resulting in Thomson's claim that "running a commercial television station is like having a licence to print money".[13] In 1966, the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange for the first time.[citation needed]

Scottish Television retained its franchise at the first time of asking in 1967, despite strong competition from a consortium led by the future BBC Director General Alasdair Milne and strong indications that the company would lose its franchise.[citation needed] In the event, Lord Thomson was forced by the ITA to reduce his stake in the station from 80% to 25%, effectively ending the company's standing as a subsidiary of the Thomson Group.[citation needed]

The start of colour broadcasting at the end of the decade was marked by the opening of new secondary studios at the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh in October 1969.[citation needed] The following month, on 3 November, the Theatre Royal headquarters were badly damaged by a major fire started by an electrical fault, in which a firefighter, Archie McLay, died after falling through a trapdoor.[14]

The Gateway, Leith Walk, Edinburgh (June 1974)

1970s

[edit]

Like many franchises within the ITV network, Scottish struggled through the late 1960s and early 1970s with the recession, increased transmitter rental fees, taxation on income (rather than profits), a decline in advertising revenue, and the costs of converting equipment for the launch of colour television. In 1970, the company made a loss of £39,000;[15] a warning was given that regionalism would be abandoned, and a forced merger with Grampian Television would happen, unless the chancellor reduced the levy applied on advertising revenue.[16]

By late 1971, STV's fortunes recovered after a change in taxation rules reducing the company's payments from £466,000 to £234,000, and a general increase in advertising saw profits rise to £475,000 within the first six months of 1971.[citation needed] A large proportion of the profits were spent on expanding the company's programming output. This was in part to address criticism of the station's output, and included improved sports coverage, new dramas by Scottish writers, and enhanced local entertainment.[17]

With the increase in output, STV had expectations of becoming one of the major players in producing programming for the planned fourth UK television service (then referred to as "ITV2" and which later became Channel 4). Managing Director William Brown remarked at the time: "One of the major factors in deciding to extend our activities, is the prospect of becoming nationally involved in the production of networked programmes for ITV2 if and when it begins".[citation needed]

In addition, STV were also seeking to consolidate their position to increase its partnership with foreign television stations. The company was associated with a public Israeli television company, who used STV's post-production facilities for dubbing foreign language programmes. STV were hoping to be invited to act as an advisor for commercial television in Israel.[15]

The company started work on building its new purpose-built complex at Cowcaddens, in early 1972. Original plans were to move to the Millerston area of Glasgow, costing £2 million, but negotiations fell through in mid-1960. The Cowcaddens site was planned to be built in the late 1960s, but was put on hold because of STV's financial position.[15] The company left the Glasgow base at the Theatre Royal in December 1974.[citation needed]

In 1975, a short-term strike hit the ITV network in the spring, due to a dispute over the payments agreed before the government-imposed pay freeze came into force. A 19% pay rise had been agreed between the ACTT (Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians) union, and with the ITV companies in July 1974. The union alleged that £231 of this deal was still owed to its members, and should not have been affected by the pay freeze. The strike took place from 6.00 am on 23 May (except for London Weekend Television, Tyne Tees Television, and Westward Television, where ACTT members ignored the strike).[18][19] At 6.00am on 26 May, when striking workers came back to work, they were locked out by management. Normal service resumed on 30 May for all ITV stations, except for Scottish Television, whose staff refused to return to work after the lockout finished on 29 May. Staff eventually returned on Monday 9 June[20] In 1978, company profits had risen by 21.8% in the first six months of the year, allowing for an increase in local programming.[21]

1980s

[edit]
STV programme caption

During the 1970s and 1980s, Scottish Television produced a range of religious programming including weekly church services, half-hour religious programmes on a Sunday, religious contributions to the new Channel 4, the epilogue Late Call, and occasional documentaries, produced by Executive Producer Rev. Dr Nelson Gray, a Minister of the Congregational Church, and Rev. Eric Hudson, a Minister of the Church of Scotland but as the public service broadcasting requirement receded during the 1990s, the amount of religious programmes were gradually phased out.[citation needed]

In October 1981, Scottish Television became the first ITV station to operate a regional Oracle teletext service, containing over 60 pages of local news, sport and information.[22]

As was industry-practice at the time, STV programming would either be totally studio-based, include film inserts where required (the local news programme Scotland Today and Take the High Road being early examples of this), or other programming such as documentaries and dramas, shot entirely on film. The company employed up to six film crews who could be assigned to providing daily local news coverage, football matches, or feature programming such as Redgauntlet or Weirs Way. Since the company originally went on air, images not provided electronically 'live' within the studio centre were provided via telecine machines, allowing the station to run local advertisements to fill the ad breaks within and on either side of local and networked programming. Local advertisements – where a single image was shown on screen whilst the continuity announcer read the promotional message 'live' – was sourced from a standard 35 mm slide.[citation needed]

Scottish television logo between 1985 and 1989

Filmed inserts into regional news added a significant delay to the airing of programmes. STV, having no film processing capability of its own at Cowcaddens, sub-contracted this to a specialist company – Humphries Film Laboratories.[citation needed] Exposed film would be rushed to an industrial unit in North Glasgow to be processed and returned to Cowcaddens for the 16 mm film to be edited and prepared for transmission. This process often caused much annoyance to reporters and crews alike, as to ensure inclusion of a breaking news story for Scotland Today, film had to reach the labs no later than 4.30 pm.[citation needed] By the early to mid-1980s, STV had followed the rest of the ITV network in dispensing with film and embracing electronic news gathering, with Sony's Betacam being the chosen system.[citation needed]

Scottish Television's Cowcaddens HQ, 1987

Gus Macdonald became the station's Director of Programmes during the summer of 1986.[citation needed] One of his first decisions was to revamp the station's regional news and features output, following criticism from an Independent Broadcasting Authority committee. Scottish's flagship evening programme Scotland Today had previously been revamped from a regional news programme into a topical magazine show supplemented by short bulletins.[citation needed] David Scott was brought in from BBC Scotland as the station's head of news and reverted Scotland Today back to a hard news format while long-running series including What's Your Problem? and Ways & Means were axed. Replacement programmes included the topical lunchtime show Live at One Thirty and social action series Scottish Action.[citation needed]

Throughout the 1980s, the company began gaining greater access to the national network, primarily through the soap opera Take the High Road and the long-running detective series Taggart, as well as programming for Channel 4. Towards the end of the decade, game shows Wheel of Fortune and Fun House began decade-long runs on the ITV network. During the late 1980s, the company, known as MAC III Productions, bought out the rights to game shows for the UK and foreign markets, including The Krypton Factor.[23]

1990s

[edit]

In 1990, Sir William Brown retired as managing director after 24 years of service, marking the longest serving chief executive in ITV history. He subsequently became chairman of Scottish Television plc from 1991 until 1996[24] Gus Macdonald was promoted as Managing Director and started overhauling the workforce by cutting it from 800 to 330 – Macdonald claimed the company was employing many more people though most were now freelancers.[25]

In early 1992, J. Nigel Pickard became controller of entertainment and drama features.[26] When he transferred from the outgoing ITV company TVS, some of the station's children's programmes continued production under Scottish Television including Art Attack and How 2. Pickard was based at an office in Maidstone (where many of Scottish's new acquisitions were produced) until 1995, but he left the company in 1993. Scottish would continue as a major provider of children's programming throughout the 1990s, including a number of co-productions with other broadcasters and production companies.

After retaining its franchise in 1991 unopposed with a bid of just £2,000 a year (just over £5 a day), plus 2% of their annual advertising revenue,[27][28] STV's production arm was placed into a separate company, Scottish Television Enterprises. The company invested shares in various ITV companies and media firms, including a 25% stake in GMTV as part of a consortium for the ITV breakfast franchise (STV's stake was sold off to ITV plc in 2004 for £31 million), ITN[29] and UTV,[30] which helped push profits up to £10m.[31] The company itself acquired new investors when in 1994 the Mirror Group brought 20% stake in company,[32] In September 1995, STV acquired a 20% stake in HTV worth £36 million, as part of a deal with Flextech,[33] which held a 20% stake while the Mirror Group stake was diluted to 16%. The deal also involved Mirror Group CEO David Montgomery and two Flextech executives joining the Scottish Television board, while Flextech committed to licensing more than 125 hours of drama and documentaries from STV.[34] Within a month of the deal, the Mirror Group increased its stake to 19.93%.[33]

In 1996, the HTV shares were sold off to the Wales and West contractor's future owners United News and Media.[30] For a short time, STV became a buyout target for Yorkshire Television.[35] STV acquired Caledonian Publishing - then-publishers of The Herald and the Glasgow Evening Times - in July 1996.[36] The following June, Scottish Media Group plc acquired Grampian Television, the ITV contractor for Northern Scotland, for £105 million.[37] Shortly afterwards, the company became SMG.

In April 1998, Scottish formed a new partnership with Canadian entertainment company Nelvana and American TV network CBS to produce six new animated series, with Scottish having a significant creative input in the production of all their shows. Scottish Television Enterprises general manager Darrel James, who oversaw the deal, said: "[It] came together in a surprisingly short time. We have worked very successfully with Nelvana on the Rupert series in the past. So when they came and asked us if we wanted to get involved, we said 'yes' almost immediately. It is not often that you get the opportunity to work on such a high volume of co-produced material at one time."[38] The new shows produced were Franklin, Anatole, The Dumb Bunnies, Flying Rhino Junior High, Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend and Birdz.[39] In November, Scottish doubled the funding for children's programming.[40]

Speculation followed in the summer of 1998 that STV's 20% stake in GMTV would be sold off to help raise cash for new acquisitions in England, since the company continued to have no debt and could easily afford new purchases.[41] At the end of the year, Gus Macdonald left the company to become a Scottish Trade Minister.[42] In 1999, Mirror Group sold its stake to Granada[43]

2000s

[edit]

On 2 March 2006, it was announced by SMG plc (now 'STV Group plc') that Scottish Television would revert to the brand name of 'STV', used from the start of colour broadcasting in 1969 until 30 August 1985, and which the station was still informally known as. At the same time, Grampian Television would also become known as STV North. The new-look branding was launched on 30 May 2006.

In January 2007, the station launched separate news services for the East and West of the STV Central region, initially as a five-minute opt out within the 6:00pm edition of Scotland Today on weeknights.

Studios

[edit]
STV's former Cowcaddens headquarters
STV's Pacific Quay headquarters

From the station's launch in 1957 until 1974, Scottish Television used the Theatre Royal, Glasgow on Hope Street as their main studio base and headquarters. Secondary studios at the Gateway Theatre on Leith Walk in Edinburgh were built in 1969 to accommodate more productions.[44] The new facilities at Edinburgh grew in importance following the fatal Theatre Royal fire in November 1969, which gutted Studio A and several production suites.

Scottish's main base moved in 1974 to custom built facilities on Renfield Street in Cowcaddens on land opposite the Theatre Royal site.[45] Construction began on the new base in 1972 - it was officially opened on 12 December 1974 by Princess Alexandra,[45][46] and expanded to accommodate further production in 1978. Following the completion of the new studio complex, the Theatre Royal was sold to Scottish Opera to become the first national opera house in Scotland, and the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet.

Cowcaddens became Scottish's main studio base where the majority of their productions were based.[45] However, with the growing use of independent production companies as a source of programming, the need for increased studio space was alleviated. New Scottish programming, such as Art Attack and How 2 from TVS was being made at the Maidstone Studios, where these programmes were formally based. As a cost-saving measure, the Gateway Theatre studios in Edinburgh, which for a time became the permanent studio home for Take the High Road, were closed in 1994.

In 2006, the newly rebranded STV moved from their Cowcaddens base to a new, smaller building at Pacific Quay alongside the headquarters of BBC Scotland.[45] As a result of the move, the entire Cowcaddens site, with the exception of an extension containing The Herald and Glasgow Evening Times newspapers, was demolished and redeveloped in 2007.[45][47] STV's Edinburgh operations are now based at small studios in Fountainbridge.

Presentation

[edit]
Scottish Television ident 1985–1988
Scottish Television ident, January 1989–1992
Scottish Television ident 1993–1996
Scottish Television ident 1996–2000

Scottish Television's first on-air symbol featured the Lion Rampant of Scotland. Initially a static caption, an animated ident was introduced by 1965 in which the lion would spin inside a box, though this later modified as a simple zoom in following, according to some reports, a complaint from The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the man in charge of protecting Scotland's heraldry.[48] The station's first theme was a specially composed piece by Geraldo entitled Scotlandia, which began each day's broadcasting – the theme continued to be heard until August 1985.

After the start of colour broadcasting, the lion rampant symbol was replaced within a year by a stylised 'STV' logo. The solid STV lettering would be met by an outline of the lettering and the background would turn blue once both had met, accompanied by a trumpeted fanfare. Throughout the 1970s and up until 1985, this stylised STV was used as either a static caption, or form up from a patterned design that was supposed to represent tartan. Accompanying the look was a clock against a blue background with the white STV logo forming a pattern across the screen.

On 31 August 1985, the station revived the 'Scottish Television' branding and introduced a computer generated thistle ident designed by Peter Goodfellow.[49] Occasional special idents were also produced including a modified logo to mark the station's 30th anniversary in 1987, while the main ident was largely replaced in January 1988 in favour of a new set of seasonal and themed idents, but the 1985 clock was kept in use. The thistle logo was modified on 1 January 1989 to create a 2D identity which would remain in use until 27 February 2000, under various guises. Glasgow-based animation company Liquid Image, working with the Scottish Television in-house design department, created the station's presentation packages in the 90s, first appearing on 1 January 1993 and 6 October 1996 respectively.[50] Scottish did use the first national ITV ident from 1 September 1989, but used it in conjunction with its own branding: however, this was dropped by early 1990.

Scottish maintained in-vision continuity throughout its first thirty years on air. In later years, the station relied less on in-vision links compared to other ITV stations, although duty announcers also presented short regional news bulletins produced by the Scotland Today newsroom. In-vision continuity was confined to overnight junctions in February 1988 following the launch of 24-hour broadcasting and the start of the Scottish Through the Night service. The practice was abandoned in October 1991, when the overnight strand was relaunched as Scottish Night Time.

Scottish refused to adopt the 1999 ITV generic look and instead, alongside Grampian Television, launched a new on-screen logo on 28 February 2000, featuring a blue square with the words 'Scottish TV' – a new set of 15 ident sequences featuring Scottish people and places was produced as part of the revamp. The presentation package remained in use until 6 January 2003, when Scottish and Grampian adopted the celebrity idents package, albeit with their own logos attached and also featuring Scottish and Grampian presenters.

The celebrity look remained until 2006, when the Scottish and Grampian names were traded in for one unified look: STV. The first ident package featured an elongated blue 'S', with scenes of Scottish people in various locations passing around the 'S' from person to person in differing scenes, until one person places the S in the centre of the screen. An updated look was introduced on 23 March 2009, consisting of a picture postcard scene which would flip over to the right to reveal another theme. This flipping increases in pace and as the camera pulls back before the STV logo forms against a gradient blue background.

On 2 June 2014, STV's logo was unified, along with Grampian's. The white "tv" is now situated on a gradient blue triangle, and three light blue curves now appear on the 3 sides. The "S"' colours was changed to gradient light blue.

Programmes

[edit]

A list of programmes made by Scottish Television. All programmes, except regional ones, now come under the banner of STV Studios.

News

[edit]
  • Dateline (1960s–1973)
  • Here and Now
  • Scotland Now
  • Scotland Today (1972–2009)
  • Scotland This Week
  • STV News Review (signed news review, 2006–2013)
  • STV News at Six (2009–present)

Current affairs

[edit]
  • As I Please (1984)
  • Box 2000
  • Platform (1996–2004)
  • Politics Now (2004–2011)
  • From the Top (1976–1979)
  • The Lion's Share (1974–1975)
  • Reid About...USSR/Poland/Scotland (1988–1990)
  • Question in Sport (1990s)
  • Scottish Assembly (1986–1989)
  • (Scottish) Report (1970–1988)
  • Scotland Friday (1970s–1975)
  • Scotland Today Reports (1972–1977)
  • Scotland Today Special (1987–2005)
  • The Scottish 500
  • Scottish Frontiers on Medicine (1988–1992)
  • Scottish Questions (1986–1996)
  • (Scottish) Reporters (1993–2000)
  • Seven Days (1998–2004)
  • Sunday Live (2006)
  • Ways and Means (1975–1986)
  • The Week in Politics (2000–2004)

Sport

[edit]
  • Champions League Live (1992–2015)
  • Extra Time (1988–2000)
  • Football First (1999–2002)
  • Scotsport (1957–2008)
  • Touchdown Scotland (1997–2000)

Features and documentaries

[edit]
  • 7.30 for 8
  • A Ship from the Clyde (1960s)
  • Action Line (1979–1987)
  • Acropolis Now (1986–1987)
  • All Kinds of A Country (1983–1986)
  • Around 17 (1994)
  • Artery (1998–2003)
  • Bill Tennent Travels High Road (1970s)
  • The Bowler and the Bunnet (1967)
  • Britain: The Nazi Safe House (1987)
  • Club Reps (2001–2004)
  • Celtic America
  • Crime Desk (1975–1988)
  • Contract 736 (1967) [51]
  • Dirt Detective (1993)
  • Down to Earth (1980–1982)
  • Feeling better? (1986)
  • Fit to Last (1976)
  • From the Top (1979)
  • Education for Tomorrow (1980s)
  • The Edge of Land (1995–1996)
  • Encore for The Arts (1979–1984)
  • Enterprise 64 (1964)
  • Get It On
  • Green Pages (1992)
  • Home for the Holidays
  • Homelands
  • The Home Show (1994–2004)
  • House Call (1973–1976)
  • Home and School (1979)
  • Homework (1984)[52]
  • Hooked on Scottish (1996–2000)
  • Kay's Originals (1989)
  • Kirsty (1993–1996)
  • Live At One Thirty (1986–1987)
  • Meet Paul Coia (1981)
  • The Maverick Millionaire (1986)
  • Moneywise (1976–1982)
  • Moviejuice (2000–present)
  • The Munro Show (1990–1992)
  • Natural Born Winners?
  • NB (1989–1997)
  • The Nightshift (2010–2015)
  • Off The Page (1989–1992)
  • Once Upon Upon A Song (1987)
  • One in a Hundred (1981)
  • Out and About (1987)
  • Paramedics (1993)
  • Painting In Scotland (1972)
  • The Point
  • Positively Unemployed (1984–1985)
  • Rescue (1990)
  • Room at the Top/Summer at the Top (2000–2001)
  • Safe as Houses (2007)
  • Sea Kingdoms (2003)
  • Scotching the Myth (1990)
  • Scotland's Story (1984)
  • Scottish Action (1987–2002)
  • Scottish Books (1988–1995)
  • Scottish Eye (1988–1992)
  • Scottish Minute
  • Scottish Men (1995–1998)
  • Scottish Passport (1993–2004; 2012–present)
  • Scottish Women (1989–1998)
  • Secret Scotland
  • Songs of Scotland (1973–1980s)
  • Square Meals (1994–1998)
  • Studio (1983–1986)
  • Studio A Startime (1970's)
  • Summer Discovery (1999)
  • The Talent
  • Talking Scotland (2005–2007)
  • The Real Mackay (for stv.tv, 2007–2011)
  • The Strange Show (1995)
  • This Scotland
  • This Wonderful World (1957–1960s)
  • Time Out with Tennent (1965)
  • Trial by Night (1993–2000)
  • Trout 'n' About
  • Votes for Women (1988)
  • Weir's Way (1976–1987)
  • Wilkies in Winter (1979)
  • What's Your Problem? (1976–1986)
  • Watch This Space (1976–1977)
  • Wheel Nuts (1997–2002)
  • World Worth Keeping (1975–1984)
  • Yorkhill

Entertainment

[edit]
  • A Game of Two Halves (1995–1997)
  • All Kinds Of Country (1983–1985)
  • Alastair: One Man and His Band (1981)
  • The Adventures of Francie and Josie (1962–1965)
  • The Alexander Brothers Show (1960s–1976)
  • Alec Finlay Show (1959)
  • The Allan Stewart Show (1982)
  • The Allan Stewart Tapes (1979)
  • Aly Bain and Friends (1987–1990)
  • The Andy Stewart Show (1970s)
  • Battle of the Comics (1976–1977)
  • Boiling Point
  • Boxed Set (1998–2001)
  • Burn Your Bills (2005)
  • The Business Game (1992–1997)
  • The Better Sex (1978)
  • Chart Bite (1994–1996)
  • Club Cupid (co-produced with STV North, 2006)
  • Connolly (1970s)
  • Dance Party Roof (1957-1960s)
  • Devine Country
  • Did You See Una? (1967–1968)
  • Do You Come Here Often? (1979)
  • Funny You Should Say That (1984–1986)
  • Funny Farm/Comedy Rules (1990–1994)
  • The Golf Club (1997)
  • Elaine: The Singer of the Song (1976–1979)
  • Hear Here/The Sound Of (1979–1984)
  • Hello, Good Evening and Welcome (1976-1979)[53]
  • Highland Showboat (1976)
  • In Concert (1977–1986)
  • Its Andy Cameron (1984)
  • Jazz Concert
  • Jazz at the Gateway
  • The Jazz Series (1978-1981)
  • Jazz Club
  • Jigtime (1957–1959)
  • The Ken Fine Show (1995–1998)
  • Kenneth Mckellar at Home (1970s)
  • The Larry Marshall Show (1960s)
  • Larry Looks Lightly (1975–1976)
  • Late Edition (1995–1996)
  • Live at the Fringe
  • The Music People (1967)
  • Night Flyte (1989–1992)[54]
  • Nippy Sweeties (1986)
  • Now You See It (1981–1986)
  • The One O'Clock Gang (1958 – 31 December 1964)
  • Over to Una (early 1960s – 1969)
  • Passport Quiz (1998–2002)
  • Postcode Challenge (2007–2011)
  • Rikki (1966)
  • The Rikki Fulton Hour (1965)
  • Round Up (1960s)
  • Scotch Corner (1972–1976)
  • The Scottish Home Service/Viv on Sunday (early 1990s)
  • Shindig (1986–1988) Hosted By Sydney Devine
  • Split Second (1988)
  • Star Parade (1980–1985)
  • The Stanley Baxter Scots Picture Show (1st Jan 1974)
  • Steve Jones Illustrated/It's Friday and I'm Steve Jones (1978–1979)
  • The Steve Jones Programme (1980)
  • Studio Downbeat (1960s)
  • Studio One (co-produced with Border TV, 1985)
  • The Sydney Devine Show (1970s)
  • Talking Scots (1979–1983)
  • The Terry Neason Show (1987)
  • Thingummyjig (1976–1983)
  • This is Scotland (First programme broadcast on STV, 31 August 1957)
  • Wheel of Fortune (1988–2001)
  • Victor and Barry... (1987–1989)
  • The VJ's (1996)
  • Whigmaleerie (1962)
  • Win, Lose or Draw (1990–1998)
  • Would You Believe It (late 1970s)
The Andy Stewart Show (Gateway)
The Larry Marshall Show (Studio A)

Drama

[edit]
On the set of High Living

Children's/Animation

[edit]
On the set of Cartoon Cavalcade with Glen Michael

Religion

[edit]
  • By The Way (1980-1985)
  • Chapter and Verse (1975–1985)
  • Eikon (1993–2003)
  • Eye to Eye
  • God's Rep (1990)
  • Gods and Heroes in Ancient Tales (1987)
  • Highway (contributions to the ITV network)
  • Late Call (1960–1989)
  • Morning Worship (contribution to the ITV network)
  • No Easy Answer (1978–1986)
  • Seek the Truth
  • Sunday Service
  • Tell The Story (1980-1988)
  • The Divine Truth (1979)[60]
  • That's the Spirit (1978–1985)

Scots Gaelic

[edit]
  • About Gaelic (1979–1986)
  • Abair Spors (1992-1994)
  • Air An Urlar (Music)
  • Air A Bhord (Features)
  • Air A Charraig (1990s)
  • Air an Spot (Quiz)
  • 1 2 Stri (Children's)
  • Beachd (Features)
  • Bilidh Bio Dach (1996)
  • Cairt Turais (Features)
  • Carlas (Features)
  • Dein Fhein E! (DIY 1992)
  • De Tha Seo? (1990–1994)
  • Ealadairean (Documentary)
  • Failte (Features)
  • Feis nan Coisir (1996)
  • Iomraiteach (Documentary)
  • Iomall nan Tonn (Documentary)
  • Haggis Agus (1990–1993)
  • Machair (Drama)
  • Mactalla (discussion programme)
  • Nochd Gun Chadal (Music)
  • Reoiteag Air Rothan (2004)
  • Speaking our Language (Learners)
  • Seachd Laithean (Current affairs, 1979–1982)
  • Sin Agad E! (Magazine programme)
  • Blas Na Gaedhlig/Sounds Gaelic (1980-1986)
  • Seall (1991-1999)
  • Sploaid (Children's)
  • The Sabhal Mor Ostaig Lecture
  • Trang Trang (Children's) (1984–1992)
  • Tiglinn Na Cagatile (1991)

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Scottish Television

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Scottish Television, commonly abbreviated as STV, is a commercial television broadcaster and the holder of the ITV regional franchises for central and northern , having commenced operations on 31 August 1957 from studios in Glasgow's Theatre Royal. Owned by STV Group plc, it delivers a combination of national ITV network programming and regionally focused content, including , entertainment, and drama produced for Scottish viewers. As Scotland's most-watched peak-time television channel, STV maintains over 80% monthly viewership for its flagship evening bulletin and has historically prioritized local productions alongside imported series like . Originally established as the first seven-day-a-week ITV service, Scottish Television expanded its footprint through the 1969 opening of studios and the 1974 Cowcaddens facility in , before relocating to Pacific Quay in 2006. The broadcaster incorporated northern Scotland's coverage via , launched in 1961, under STV Group ownership, solidifying its position as the primary commercial terrestrial outlet north of the border. Notable achievements encompass pioneering color broadcasting in the late and creating enduring programs such as the crime series and children's entertainment like Cartoon Cavalcade, reflecting a commitment to diverse genres from variety shows to documentaries. STV's independence from , finalized after the latter divested its stake in 2013, underscores its distinct operational model amid the consolidation of the ITV network.

History

Pre-Launch and Establishment (1950–1957)

The introduction of commercial television to the United Kingdom was enabled by the Television Act 1954, which established the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to oversee the development of a regional network of advertiser-funded stations competing with the BBC. The ITA began awarding franchises in 1955, starting with London and the Midlands, before expanding to other regions; by 1957, attention turned to Scotland, where television penetration stood at approximately 35% of households. The Central Scotland franchise, covering the densely populated Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, attracted three applications, reflecting interest from media groups seeking to capitalize on the medium's growth potential. On 29 April 1957, the ITA awarded the seven-day franchise for Central Scotland to Scottish Television Ltd, a spearheaded by Canadian-born Roy Thomson, who held significant stakes through his newspaper interests including the Kemsley Trust. Thomson, who famously described an ITV franchise as "a licence to print money" due to its anticipated profitability from , assembled partners such as the Aberdeen Journals and local Scottish investors to meet the ITA's capital requirements of £750,000 in share capital. The company was incorporated in early 1957, with initial operations focused on constructing transmission facilities at Black Hill near and adapting the Theatre Royal in as a temporary studio complex. Preparations accelerated in the months leading to launch, including the of key personnel; in June 1957, John J. Hardy, a former executive in Scotland, was appointed as the first staff member to handle programming and operations. Thomson projected rapid audience growth, estimating 550,000 television sets in the region within a few years, which would underpin viability amid from the BBC's Scottish service. These efforts culminated in the station's readiness for its debut broadcast, marking Scotland's entry into commercial television and Thomson's expansion into British broadcasting.

Launch and Early Operations (1957–1969)

![STV's Theatre Royal studios in Cowcaddens, Glasgow][float-right] Scottish Television (STV) launched as the Independent Television (ITV) franchise holder for central Scotland on 31 August 1957, following the award of the licence to Canadian media proprietor Roy Thomson by the Independent Television Authority. The first broadcast aired at 6:12 pm, featuring the live variety programme This is Scotland, an hour-long special originating from the converted Theatre Royal in Glasgow's Cowcaddens district, which served as the company's initial headquarters and primary studio facility. Thomson, who had established a network of commercial stations in Canada and the UK, appointed James Coltart as the inaugural managing director to oversee operations. Transmissions began via the Black Hill transmitter, providing coverage to approximately 75% of Scotland's population, though television ownership stood at only about 35% of households in 1957, limiting initial viewership. Early programming emphasized live variety shows, , and regional content to differentiate from offerings, with productions largely originating from the single studio at the Theatre Royal, which had been adapted for television use earlier that year. Notable early output included music and segments, reflecting the era's reliance on talent, as STV recruited performers and staff to fill a schedule that operated evenings only, typically from late afternoon to midnight. By 1958, STV introduced its first news magazine programme, , airing weekly to cover current affairs and local stories, marking an early commitment to journalistic output amid competition from the . The station faced logistical hurdles in its formative years, including technical limitations of live without widespread use and the need to build advertising revenue in a nascent market, yet it achieved rapid growth as penetration rose to over 50% by the early . Franchise stability was affirmed during the Independent Television Authority's 1963 review, with STV retaining its contract through to 1968, enabling investments in programming diversity such as children's shows and sports coverage. Throughout the late and , STV navigated economic pressures from high transmitter rental fees and production costs, but sustained operations by leveraging Thomson's media expertise and focusing on cost-effective live formats. Audience figures expanded alongside national trends, with the station broadcasting an average of 50-60 hours weekly by the mid-, incorporating networked ITV content alongside opt-outs for Scottish-specific material. The period culminated in the 1967 franchise renewal, securing STV's position into the 1970s without major disruptions, despite broader ITV network strains from fluctuations.

Growth and Challenges (1970–1979)

In the early 1970s, Scottish Television, rebranded as STV, faced initial financial setbacks including a substantial loss in 1970 due to a post-fire operational disruption from 1969 and a downturn in advertising revenue amid economic recession. Recovery followed by late 1971, aided by revised taxation rules that halved levy payments from £466,000 to £234,000 and a rebound in advertising income across ITV. This period saw technical expansions, such as the launch of a second high-power transmitter on 27 September 1971, enhancing coverage in central Scotland. Growth accelerated mid-decade with the relocation to the purpose-built Cowcaddens studios in , opened by Princess Alexandra on 20 May 1974, replacing fire-damaged facilities and enabling expanded production capabilities. STV increased output in drama, entertainment, and sports programming, fostering international partnerships like one with Israeli television, while profitability returned through investments in local Scottish content. By , profits rose 21.8% in the first half-year, prompting commitments to more local programming hours. Challenges persisted, including the costly transition to color broadcasting and higher transmitter fees straining resources during the early 1970s recession. Labor disputes intensified, with the 1970-1971 color by technicians halting color operations from November 1970 to February 1971 over pay disputes. The decade culminated in the major ITV technicians' strike starting 10 August , which shut down STV transmissions for over ten weeks, disrupting programming and revenue amid union demands for better conditions in an inflationary economy. Additional strikes, including videotape and program directors' actions in March and April, affected shows like Garnock Way and election coverage.

Expansion and Technological Shifts (1980–1989)

In the early 1980s, Scottish Television retained its ITV franchise for central Scotland following the review under the Broadcasting Act 1980, enabling continued operations without competitive bidding until the major franchise round of 1991. This stability facilitated expansion into ancillary services, notably in October 1981 when it launched the first regional Oracle teletext service among ITV contractors, providing over 60 pages of localized content including news, sports results, and weather updates accessible via adapted television sets. The introduction of teletext marked a technological shift toward interactive information delivery, broadening viewer engagement beyond live broadcasts and anticipating digital enhancements. By mid-decade, Scottish Television invested in modernized on-air to refresh its identity. On 31 August 1985, coinciding with its 28th , the company unveiled a new computer-generated ident featuring an animated emblem, designed by Peter Goodfellow and produced with advanced graphics technology of the era. This "exploding thistle" sequence, often critiqued for resembling a licorice allsorts but praised for its elegance, replaced earlier static logos and signified a commitment to contemporary visual standards amid the growing prevalence of electronic design in broadcasting. The late 1980s brought further operational expansions and adaptations to industry-wide changes. Scottish Television transitioned to 24-hour programming, aligning with ITV's trends and viewer demands for continuous content, which necessitated upgrades in scheduling, automation, and transmission infrastructure. In 1988, the company rebranded its on-screen identity to STV, streamlining presentation and reflecting internal restructuring that positioned it for competitive pressures ahead of the 1991 franchise auction. These shifts enhanced technical efficiency and audience reach, with the period seeing strengthened production output as evidenced by sustained growth in regional programming contributions to the ITV network.

Commercialization and Mergers (1990–1999)

The Broadcasting Act 1990 introduced significant deregulation to the British commercial television sector, emphasizing a quality threshold alongside competitive cash bidding for franchise renewals, which encouraged greater commercialization through increased advertising revenue potential and reduced regulatory constraints on programming and operations. Scottish Television, as the incumbent holder of the central Scotland ITV franchise since 1957, successfully retained its license in the 1991 franchise round with a nominal annual bid of £2,000 plus 2% of qualifying revenue, reflecting its strong track record in quality programming that met the Independent Television Commission's criteria without needing to escalate financial commitments. In response to the evolving commercial landscape, Scottish Television pursued diversification beyond broadcasting. In 1996, the company acquired Caledonian Publishing Company for £120 million, gaining ownership of major Scottish newspapers including The Herald and Evening Times, which broadened its media portfolio and prompted a to Scottish Media Group plc to reflect its expanded interests in publishing alongside television. This move capitalized on synergies between print and broadcast media, enhancing revenue streams amid intensifying competition in television . Further consolidation occurred in 1997 when Scottish Media Group acquired , the ITV franchise holder for northern , for approximately £105 million, effectively doubling its regional television footprint and viewer base to cover most of outside the borders. By 1999, the group continued its expansion into non-broadcast media by purchasing Primesight, an outdoor advertising firm, for an undisclosed sum, underscoring a strategic shift towards integrated media holdings to mitigate risks from television market fluctuations and regulatory changes. These mergers positioned Scottish Media Group as a diversified powerhouse, leveraging its core assets for broader commercial opportunities in the late 1990s.

Digital Transition and Restructuring (2000–2009)

In the early 2000s, Scottish Media Group, formerly Scottish Television, expanded its portfolio amid the UK's nascent digital broadcasting landscape, where it participated in (DTT) services launched under ONdigital in late 1998, providing regional content on a shared multiplex with Channel 4. The company renamed itself SMG plc in 2000 to reflect diversification into outdoor advertising via Primesight and cinema advertising through Pearl & Dean. That December, SMG acquired a 14.9% stake in Scottish Radio Holdings for strategic positioning ahead of anticipated radio ownership . By 2001, SMG increased its holding in Scottish Radio Holdings to 29.5%, cleared by the Office of Fair Trading after review, bolstering its audio assets amid rising competition. Financial pressures mounted, however, with group debt reaching approximately £400 million by early 2002, prompting speculation of asset break-up including Virgin Radio sales, though a agreement stabilized operations. SMG's television arm adapted to digital shifts as (rebranded from ONdigital in 2001) collapsed in 2002 due to , paving the way for Freeview's launch later that year, on which STV services became available to expand reach beyond analogue signals. This transition emphasized DTT's efficiency, freeing spectrum for additional channels while STV maintained regional programming obligations. Restructuring accelerated in 2006 when, on 30 May, SMG unified its Scottish and franchises under the STV brand for Channel 3 services across , retiring regional names and introducing idents designed by Elmwood's office to streamline operations amid converging digital platforms. The rebrand faced criticism for eroding Grampian identity but aimed to enhance cohesion in a multi-platform era. In March 2007, investor Rob Woodward orchestrated a of the debt-laden SMG, injecting capital to address underperformance in and non-core assets. By 2008, SMG divested Virgin Radio and Primesight to refocus on core television, culminating in a name change to STV Group plc on 24 June, signaling renewed emphasis on Scottish broadcasting amid digital viewership growth via Freeview, which by then served millions and supported STV's regional opt-outs. This period marked preparations for the UK's full digital switchover, announced in 2005, with STV investing in transmitter upgrades and HD trials, though analogue transmission persisted until later regional rollouts. The shifts positioned STV to navigate declining advertising revenues and rising digital competition, prioritizing factual regional content over network uniformity.

Modern Era and Adaptations (2010–Present)

In 2010, STV Group plc completed a process that involved divesting non-television assets, including newspapers and cinema advertising operations, to concentrate resources on and content production, resulting in underlying pre-tax profits rising to £6 million for the first half of the year amid recovering television advertising revenues. This refocus aligned with the broader digital switchover in , which concluded in June 2011, transitioning all households from analogue to digital signals and enabling expanded multichannel access via platforms like Freeview. The company adapted to streaming and on-demand viewing by enhancing its platform, initially relaunched in 2009 and expanded in 2020 to roll out UK-wide on Freeview Play devices across major TV brands, facilitating catch-up and original content delivery. In 2018, STV announced a three-year creative and digital strategy that included closing the STV2 channel, establishing a dedicated digital division, and introducing an ad-free subscription tier for to compete with national video-on-demand services. These measures supported revenue diversification, with —the group's production division comprising over 20 labels—securing commissions for scripted, unscripted, and factual programming distributed domestically and internationally. By 2025, STV outlined its FastFwd strategy targeting growth to 2030, emphasizing international content sales and digital expansion to £30 million annually through pre-commissioned video-on-demand deals and enhanced platform , amid challenges from streaming and linear TV audience fragmentation. The company reported resilient trading in its July 2025 update, with STV Studios landing 30 commissions year-to-date despite cutbacks in unscripted entertainment spending to prioritize high-value formats.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Founding and Initial Ownership

Scottish Television Ltd was established in 1957 by Canadian media proprietor Roy Thomson to secure and operate the Independent Television Authority (ITA) franchise for the central Scotland region, covering an area from to and west to the Atlantic coast. Thomson, who had built a substantial empire in and Britain, formed the company specifically for this purpose after successfully bidding against competitors including the Scottish and Daily Record groups. The ITA awarded the 10-year contract to Scottish Television on the basis of Thomson's financial resources and commitment to , with initial capital subscriptions totaling £250,000 from Thomson's holdings. Initial ownership was dominated by Thomson British Holdings, the UK arm of Thomson's conglomerate, which provided the foundational equity and operational backing without immediate public shareholding. This structure reflected Thomson's model of leveraging existing media assets for television expansion, similar to his acquisitions of other ITV franchises such as Aberdeen Enterprises (). The company's headquarters and initial studios were acquired by purchasing and converting the Theatre Royal in , enabling rapid setup for the launch. No significant minority shareholders were reported at inception, ensuring centralized control under Thomson's direction during the early franchise period. Broadcasting commenced on 31 August 1957 with the program This Is , marking the start of commercial television in two years after ITV's London launch. The initial ownership setup prioritized financial stability and content production autonomy, allowing Scottish Television to meet ITA requirements for 50% locally originated programming amid technical challenges like signal coverage in rugged . Thomson's emphasized profitability from , with the company generating revenue from day one despite high startup costs exceeding £1 million for equipment and facilities.

Key Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures

In 1997, Scottish Television, recently renamed Scottish Media Group (SMG), acquired —the ITV franchise holder for northern —for £105 million, thereby consolidating control over ITV broadcasting across central and northern while retaining separate regional identities initially. This move followed regulatory approvals under the , which permitted cross-ownership within regions, and positioned SMG as the dominant ITV operator in . Concurrently, SMG raised its stake in Ulster Television (UTV) from 1.9% to 14.9%, enhancing its influence in the Irish ITV network without full control. The 2006 merger with Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH) represented SMG's major diversification into radio, following its initial 14.9% stake acquisition in 2000 amid anticipated easing of cross-media ownership rules; the all-share deal valued SRH at approximately £90 million and integrated 22 radio stations into the group. Operational synergies from the acquisition culminated that year in the rebranding of both Scottish Television and as a unified STV channel, approved by despite concerns over reduced regional distinctiveness in northern . SMG rejected a proposed merger with UTV in September 2006, citing insufficient strategic fit and valuation despite the bid's potential to create a larger ITV stakeholder. Divestitures focused on non-core assets to streamline operations amid ITV network shifts. SMG sold its UTV stake in 2007 for around £20 million following UTV's acquisition by . Radio assets, acquired via the SRH merger, were divested to Bauer Media in 2015 for £15 million, allowing refocus on television broadcasting and production after regulatory pressures and declining profitability in local radio. More recently, STV Group pursued growth through targeted acquisitions in content production, including Two Cities Television in 2023, which expanded its independent production capabilities and prompted audit scrutiny of acquired intangible assets in the 2024 . These actions reflect a strategic pivot toward digital and production revenues amid trends in linear TV.
YearEventDetails
1997Acquisition of £105 million deal unifying ITV franchises in ; stake increase in UTV to 14.9%.
2006Merger with Scottish Radio HoldingsIntegrated radio operations; valued at ~£90 million.
2006Rejection of UTV mergerBid declined due to strategic misalignment.
2007Divestiture of UTV stakeSold for ~£20 million post-ITV plc takeover of UTV.
2015Divestiture of radio assetsSold to Bauer Media for £15 million to refocus on TV.
2023Acquisition of Two Cities TelevisionBolstered production portfolio.

STV Group plc and Current Governance

STV Group plc serves as the parent company for STV's and production operations, functioning as a publicly listed entity on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker STVG. The group encompasses STV's regional television services in northern and central , alongside for content production targeted at and international markets, with a strategic emphasis on streaming, data-driven audience engagement, and cost efficiencies amid market pressures. In , the company reported revenues of £188 million and pre-tax profits of £16.7 million, reflecting adaptations to digital transitions and a diversified portfolio beyond linear TV. Governance at STV Group plc adheres to principles, prioritizing board independence, rigor, and alignment, as evidenced by its ISS Governance QualityScore of 7 as of October 2025, with strengths in (score 4) offset by areas like rights (score 1). The board comprises a mix of executive and non-executive directors, chaired by Paul Reynolds, a and media veteran, who announced his intention to step down by the end of 2025, with Clive Whiley designated as chair-elect to ensure continuity. Key non-executive members include figures with expertise in and media, supporting oversight of , , and remuneration committees. Executive is headed by Chief Executive Rufus Radcliffe, appointed effective November 1, 2024, following his tenure at managing streaming and data operations, succeeding Simon Pitts who departed for another role. Radcliffe reports to the board and oversees divisions including , studios, and digital platforms, with Lindsay Dixon serving as Chief Financial and Operating Officer to handle fiscal and operational matters. Ownership is predominantly institutional, with over 50% held by entities such as Slater Investments (16.8%), Harwood Capital (8.4%), and (8.0%), enabling influence on strategic decisions while maintaining accountability. The company's FastFwd strategy, outlined in May 2025, targets growth to 2030 through enhanced digital monetization and production efficiencies, governed by board-approved metrics for diversification and cost savings, including a 2025 plan addressing declines. This framework underscores a commitment to long-term viability in a competitive media landscape, with mechanisms ensuring transparency in —Radcliffe's 2025 package totals £439,000, comprising salary and incentives—and for its ITV-affiliated regional licenses.

Facilities and Technical Operations

Primary Studios and Production Sites

Scottish Television, now STV Central, commenced broadcasting from studios in the Cowcaddens area of upon its launch on 31 August 1957. These facilities, initially adapted from the former Theatre Royal and later expanded, formed the core production hub for regional programming, news, and entertainment output for central and southern for nearly five decades. Equipped with four main studios by the early 2000s, including Studios A and D for primary use, Cowcaddens supported a range of live and pre-recorded content until operational constraints prompted relocation. In July 2006, STV Central shifted to consolidated, digitally advanced studios at Pacific Quay in , reducing physical footprint while enhancing technical capabilities. The Pacific Quay complex, situated at G51 1PQ along the Clyde waterfront, serves as the current headquarters for STV Group plc and centralizes news, continuity, and production activities, including those under labels focused on drama, entertainment, and factual content. This site integrates broadcast operations with STV's streaming and digital platforms, reflecting adaptations to multi-channel distribution. For STV North, serving northern including the , primary studios are located in Aberdeen's West Tullos Industrial Estate, supporting regional and programming since the 2003 consolidation from earlier Queens Cross facilities. Supplementary production occurs at remote sites in and , enabling localized coverage across the franchise area. These locations underscore STV's dual-regional structure, with remaining the dominant production center for the group's overall output.

Technological Infrastructure and Innovations

STV's technological infrastructure primarily revolves around its broadcast studios and production facilities in , which include multiple control rooms and outside broadcast (OB) units for regional coverage. The company's headquarters houses advanced production setups, with historical operations at the Cowcaddens site featuring four main studios (A, B, C, and D) used for news, continuity, and programming, supported by dedicated OB trucks. Transmission occurs via the national Channel 3 network infrastructure, enabling wide coverage across central and northern through terrestrial, , and cable distribution, reaching nearly the entire population. Key innovations include early adoption of video tape recording technology, with STV redeveloping its video tape section using Kart machines to enhance capabilities during the expansion of operations in the mid-20th century. In modern upgrades, STV deployed TSL control systems across its studios to optimize workflow flexibility and operational efficiency in broadcast control. For audio production, in June 2021, STV became the first broadcaster to integrate the Lawo mc²56 mixing console featuring the latest A__UHD core architecture into its studios and control rooms, improving high-definition audio processing and . STV has also led in digital advertising technology, launching the UK's first implementation of live Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) in early via Yospace's end-to-end solution, allowing Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) during live broadcasts to enable targeted, real-time ad replacement without viewer disruption. Additionally, in , STV upgraded its graphics with next-generation Avid solutions, enhancing visual production speed and integration for on-air content. These advancements reflect STV's focus on integrating cutting-edge hardware and software to support high-quality regional and networked programming output.

Branding and On-Air Presentation

Logos, Idents, and Visual Identity Evolution

Scottish Television commenced on 31 August 1957, utilizing simple static idents featuring the station's initials against a plain background to identify the channel during continuity announcements. Early visual identities in the and incorporated evolving logo designs with Scottish motifs, such as thistles and heraldic elements, often presented via slide projections or basic animations, reflecting the technological limitations of the era. A significant rebrand occurred on 31 1985, coinciding with the channel's 28th anniversary, introducing the "Bertie Bassett" ident package designed by . This featured a colorful, computer-generated thistle logo in typeface, accompanied by animations of Scottish landscapes and a distinctive musical sting, marking one of ITV's early forays into sophisticated CGI idents. The package, noted for its high production cost, emphasized national pride but was short-lived, giving way to a new design in 1989 with Frutiger typography and more minimalist presentations aligned with broader ITV branding changes. In February 2000, Scottish Television adopted a boxed logo created by ISO Design using font, paired with idents capturing iconic Scottish scenes scored by the Savalas theme, aiming to evoke cultural familiarity and regional identity. This was updated on 6 January 2003 with personality-based idents modeled on ITV1's English counterparts, featuring local figures and locations to foster viewer connection. The 2006 rebranding on 30 May consolidated Scottish and franchises under the STV umbrella, with a new and 'S' idents designed by Elmwood Design's office, simplifying the visual identity for unified regional coverage. This was refreshed on 23 2009 by Bruce Dunlop and Associates, introducing a and idents showcasing and places to enhance national appeal amid declining ITV opt-outs. On 2 June 2014, STV unveiled a further by DixonBaxi, retaining the 2009 logo but adding three light blue arcs symbolizing energy and connectivity, with dynamic idents reflecting modern to support expansions like local channels in and . This iteration persists, prioritizing digital adaptability and brand consistency across platforms.

Continuity Announcements and Scheduling Practices

STV's scheduling practices conform to Ofcom's Channel 3 licence requirements for regional licensees, mandating the provision of tailored and programming for Central and Northern audiences. These obligations include a minimum of regional content during peak viewing hours, with STV required to deliver at least 90 minutes of such material weekly across its Central and North services. The core structure involves broadcasting the ITV network , interrupted by opt-outs for STV-specific output, primarily consisting of bulletins and limited non-news regional fare. The flagship opt-out occurs weekdays at 6:00 pm for a 30-minute programme, subdivided into Central and North editions with further local inserts for areas like , , and . Weekend schedules feature shorter bulletins, such as 10-15 minute summaries around 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm, alongside occasional extended current affairs like Scotland Tonight on Thursdays. Since the early , STV has prioritized news over broader entertainment s to align costs with revenues, defending this shift as maintaining audience share comparable to the ITV network average. This focus reduced non-news regional programming, prompting viewer complaints and satellite switches to for missed network shows, though STV occasionally opts out of specific network content, as with certain dramas in 2009. Continuity announcements facilitate these transitions, with announcers delivering links to introduce opt-outs, promote regional content, and signal returns to the network feed. presentation from studios ensures announcements reflect Scottish accents and terminology, distinct from ITV's national continuity. Historically, in-vision announcers were standard through the for closedowns and programme introductions, evolving to out-of-vision by the in line with ITV-wide efficiencies, though regional links retain a localized tone. Recent proposals in 2025 to consolidate North opt-outs during reflect ongoing adaptations to budget constraints while upholding core licence quotas.

Programming Output

News and Current Affairs

STV's news output centers on regional bulletins tailored to its Central and Northern franchises, integrated as opt-outs from ITV's national programming. The flagship program, at Six, broadcasts weekdays from 6:00 to 6:30 pm, delivering coverage of local stories, Scottish politics, developments, and international with relevance to Scottish audiences. Separate editions originate from for the Central region and for the North, incorporating weather forecasts and sports updates. The bulletin attracts up to 500,000 viewers per evening across both regions. Launched on 23 March 2009, STV News at Six rebranded and reformatted the prior Scotland Today program, which had aired since 11 September 1972 and emphasized similar regional focus. In August 2025, STV unveiled refreshed studio designs in and to modernize presentation while maintaining dual-region production. Supplementary bulletins include lunchtime and late-evening summaries, plus rolling online updates via news.stv.tv, covering breaking events such as public safety incidents and political announcements. Current affairs programming features Scotland Tonight, a 25-minute show airing Monday to Thursday at 10:40 pm, which examines Scottish-specific issues through studio debates, expert analysis, and investigative reports on topics like policy impacts and societal challenges. Debuting on 24 October 2011, it complements ITV network shows like Tonight by prioritizing devolved matters, such as Holyrood governance and regional economics. STV's overall news service has sustained independent Scottish perspective since the station's 1957 launch, often contrasting public broadcaster emphases in coverage of events like elections and referendums.

Entertainment and Drama Productions

Scottish Television pioneered drama productions with High Living, the first soap opera produced in Scotland, which aired from 5 December 1968 to 19 August 1971 across 167 episodes. The series followed the Crombie family transitioning from a traditional tenement to a modern high-rise apartment in Glasgow, exploring social changes and family dynamics in post-war urban Scotland. Subsequent soaps included Garnock Way (1976–1982), set in a fictional Ayrshire village and addressing industrial decline, and Take the High Road (1980–2003), a long-running serial centered on the community of Glendarroch, which ran for over 1,500 episodes and became a staple of regional viewing. These productions emphasized everyday Scottish life, contrasting with London-centric ITV output, though viewership remained regionally focused due to limited network transmission. In crime drama, STV's Taggart, originally piloted as Killer in 1983, evolved into a flagship series running until 2010 with 109 episodes, featuring detectives investigating murders in Glasgow and gaining international sales in over 50 countries. Created by Glenn Chandler, the show starred Mark McManus as DCI Jim Taggart until his death in 1994, after which it shifted focus to other characters while maintaining gritty realism rooted in Scottish urban settings. Entertainment output featured variety and light programming, such as the Larry Marshall Show, a musical variety series in the 1970s showcasing Scottish performers, and comedy sketches in shows like The Adventures of Francie and Josie (1962–1970s), adapting Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy's stage characters for television audiences. These reflected STV's commitment to regional talent and humor, often incorporating Scots dialect and cultural references unavailable on national BBC schedules. Through STV Studios, contemporary drama includes Screw (2022–present), a Channel 4 series depicting life at a female prison through staff perspectives, praised for its authentic portrayal of correctional challenges, and co-productions like The Victim (2019) for BBC One, a legal thriller examining jury bias in a high-profile trial. These modern efforts leverage STV's Glasgow base for location shooting, contributing to Scotland's growing screen industry while prioritizing narrative-driven content over sensationalism.

Sports Broadcasting

STV's sports broadcasting originated with the launch of "" on September 2, 1957, a program hosted by Archie McCulloch featuring discussions among supporters of rival Scottish football clubs. This was followed shortly by Scotsport, debuting on September 18, 1957, as a renamed version of the initial Sports Desk segment, which provided highlights and analysis primarily of Scottish football, rugby, and other domestic sports. Scotsport endured for over 50 years until its final broadcast on May 22, 2008, earning recognition from as one of the longest-running sports television programs globally, with a focus on regional coverage including matches, international fixtures involving the national team, and events like the Festival sports segments. Throughout its run, Scotsport emphasized empirical coverage of Scottish leagues, often prioritizing live highlights from Old Firm derbies between Celtic and Rangers, as well as matches from the Scottish Rugby Union, reflecting STV's regional mandate as the ITV franchise holder for central and northern . The program adapted to technological shifts, incorporating video replays in the 1960s and later integrating viewer phone-ins, but faced challenges from rising production costs and competition from national broadcasters like the , which held primary live rights for major events under public service agreements. By the early 2000s, STV's sports output contracted amid financial pressures on ITV regions, leading to the axing of Scotsport as part of broader programming cuts announced in 2008 to prioritize profitability. In the digital era, STV shifted toward streaming partnerships rather than in-house production, culminating in a February 5, 2025, agreement with Premier Sports to integrate its channels into the STV Player platform. This deal provides subscribers access to live Scottish Premiership football (including up to 20 matches per season), Scottish Cup ties, and United Rugby Championship games featuring Scottish clubs like Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby, alongside European rugby competitions. Premier Sports 1 and 2, now embedded in STV Player, also cover horse racing and additional rugby, marking STV's return to substantive sports delivery without direct rights acquisition, as the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) allocates broadcasts primarily to pay-TV partners like Sky Sports and Premier under five-year deals extended in June 2025. This model leverages STV's audience data for targeted distribution, though it relies on third-party feeds, limiting original commentary to occasional STV-hosted previews or wrap-ups.

Documentaries and Factual Features

STV's documentaries and factual features have historically emphasized Scottish regional identities, industrial heritage, environmental landscapes, and social dynamics, often produced in-house for regional opt-outs or network contribution. Early efforts included explorations of post-war economic challenges, while later series shifted toward cultural preservation and investigative formats, reflecting the channel's mandate under ITV regulations to serve Scottish audiences with localized content. These productions typically drew on on-location filming in Scotland, incorporating interviews with locals and experts to provide empirical insights into historical events and contemporary issues, though output volumes varied due to commercial priorities and competition from BBC Scotland. A landmark example is The Bowler and the Bunnet (1967), a black-and-white documentary directed and presented by , which examined class tensions in Scottish industry—symbolized by the bowler hats of management and bunnets of workers—focusing on yards and efforts to bridge divides through communication reforms. Broadcast on STV on July 18, 1967, it remains Connery's sole directorial credit and was re-aired in 2020 following his death, highlighting persistent labor-management frictions rooted in historical economic structures. From 1976 to 1987, Weir's Way aired over 200 episodes, with mountaineer and author traversing Scotland's terrain to document , social changes, and community life through half-hour segments blending personal narration, on-site footage, and historical context. The series garnered Weir the 1978 Scottish Television Personality of the Year award and fostered a dedicated viewership by prioritizing firsthand observation over scripted drama, influencing subsequent outdoor factual programming. Other notable factual series include NB (1989–1997), an investigative strand covering consumer issues and regional inquiries, and Scotland: The Edge of the Land (multiple series), which used aerial to profile coastal ecosystems and human settlements, underscoring environmental dependencies on geography. More recent output, such as : Scotland's Forgotten Battle (focusing on Scottish regiments' overlooked sacrifices) and Linwood, the Imp and Me (recounting the 1960s factory's rise and closure via worker testimonies), continues this tradition of archival-driven narratives on industrial decline and .

Children's and Educational Content

Scottish Television initiated educational programming for schools shortly after its launch, broadcasting the first series from 23 September to 29 November 1957, consisting of ten weeks of lessons targeted at pupils aged 11 to 15 to supplement the standard . These early efforts aligned with the Independent Television Authority's mandate for regional stations to contribute to instructional content, focusing on subjects such as and related disciplines. The station's most enduring children's entertainment series was Glen Michael's Cartoon Cavalcade, which premiered on 6 April 1966 and ran until 20 December 1992, spanning 26 years and featuring a mix of imported cartoons like Asterix and Bugs Bunny alongside live segments with presenter Glen Michael, his sidekick Paladin, and the puppet dog Rusty. Initially airing weekdays at 5:00 p.m., the program shifted to weekend slots by 1972, becoming a staple for generations of Scottish viewers with its blend of animation, comedy sketches, and audience interaction. In later years, STV introduced wknd@stv, a weekend children's strand launching around 2008, which aired from approximately 9:25 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, incorporating archived material, imported shows such as How 2, and original continuity to fill early morning slots amid declining dedicated regional children's production. This initiative reflected broader ITV trends toward aggregated content rather than in-house development, with STV producing limited new output like the series Squeak! in the early 2000s. By the , STV's focus shifted away from original children's programming, prioritizing and appeal-driven initiatives over sustained educational or blocks for youth audiences.

Gaelic-Language Programming

Scottish Television (STV), as the licensee for ITV's Channel 3 services in central and northern Scotland, has maintained a statutory obligation to broadcast Scottish Gaelic-language programming to address the needs of Gaelic-speaking communities, primarily in the Highlands and Islands. Under the Broadcasting Act 1990, STV Central and STV North are required to air Gaelic content, with quotas assessed at one hour per week in evaluations by MG Alba, the Gaelic media authority. These requirements stem from recognition of Gaelic's cultural significance, though STV's output has remained modest compared to dedicated Gaelic outlets, reflecting the language's limited speaker base of approximately 57,000 fluent users as of the 2011 census. Grampian Television, the antecedent to STV North, pioneered commercial Gaelic television in Scotland with initial broadcasts in the mid-1970s, focusing on regional content for Aberdeen and the north-east. STV Central followed with expansions in the late 1980s; in April 1989, the company announced an increase to 18 hours of annual Gaelic programming, including Mac-talla (Echo), a studio debate series pitting prominent Gaelic figures against audiences, alongside documentaries tracing the history of Gaelic drama and other cultural features. This buildup addressed earlier criticisms of insufficient provision, though production challenges persisted due to scarce native speakers and funding constraints. Into the 1990s, STV centralized Gaelic efforts under Rhoda Macdonald, appointed Head of Gaelic from 1992 to 2001, who highlighted in 1993 the infeasibility of a standalone Gaelic channel without broader linguistic revival, given Scotland's then-estimated 60,000 speakers. Programming during this era encompassed news inserts, educational segments, and , often fulfilling peak-time quotas of at least 30 minutes weekly. Post-2008, with the advent of —funded jointly by the and —STV's Gaelic slate diminished, shifting emphasis to compliance rather than expansion; archived STV Gaelic material, such as historical dramas and music shows, now supplements Alba's schedule. Regulatory reviews, including Ofcom's license renewals in 2024, have upheld these minimal quotas amid calls for enhanced digital prominence, but STV prioritizes English-language regional output given audience metrics favoring broader Scottish content.

Regulatory Environment and Franchise History

Early ITA Regulations and Initial Licensing

The Independent Television Authority (ITA), created by the Television Act 1954, served as the regulatory body for commercial , with responsibilities including the construction and operation of transmission infrastructure, the selection of regional programme contractors, and enforcement of content standards to ensure broadcasts served the without direct control. The Act empowered the ITA to award time-limited franchises to private companies for programme production and scheduling in designated areas, while retaining oversight to prevent monopolistic practices and maintain programme quality, including requirements for balanced, non-partisan content that avoided sensationalism or undue commercial influence. For central Scotland, the ITA evaluated applications in 1956 and awarded the franchise to Scottish Television Ltd, a backed by newspaper interests and chaired by Roy Thomson, over two competing bids; this positioned STV as the sole programme contractor for the Glasgow-centered region, distinguishing it as the first seven-day service in . The formal licence agreement, dated 19 June 1957, authorised STV to supply programmes until expiry on 29 July 1964, subject to ITA approval of facilities and compliance with operational mandates such as daily broadcasting (except limited Sunday hours initially) from the authority-built Black Hill transmitter near . Initial ITA regulations imposed on STV emphasized obligations, requiring at least 50% with significant regional focus on Scottish culture, news, and affairs to counterbalance networked content from London-based contractors; funded operations but faced caps on duration (six minutes per hour maximum) and prohibitions on programme sponsorship or promotions to preserve . The ITA conducted routine monitoring and pre-transmission reviews, wielding authority to censor or reschedule content deemed offensive or unbalanced, as exemplified by early interventions in variety shows to align with standards of decency and impartiality; non-compliance risked fines or franchise revocation, though STV's launch on 31 1957 proceeded smoothly, marking the extension of ITV to over 1.5 million Scottish viewers.

Franchise Renewals and Competitive Bids

Scottish Television's franchise, initially awarded by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) in 1957 for Central Scotland, underwent periodic renewals subject to regulatory review, with opportunities for competitive challenges from alternative applicants demonstrating superior programming commitments, financial viability, and regional relevance. The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), succeeding the ITA in 1973, emphasized quality thresholds over mere financial bids in earlier rounds, assessing contenders on their ability to serve local audiences with distinctive content. In the 1967 renewal process, Scottish Television faced significant competition from a led by Liberal Party leader , which included prominent broadcasting figures such as , Alistair Burnett, Donald Baverstock, and Anthony Jay. The challengers proposed enhanced programming but were rejected by the ITA due to insufficient local ties and external interests. Scottish Television retained the franchise, though regulators mandated a reduction in Roy Thomson's controlling shareholding from 55% to 25% to promote broader ownership and mitigate foreign influence concerns. The 1980 franchise round introduced fiercer rivalry, with two new consortia—Caledonia Television, backed by producers Hugh Pitt and others, and Lowland Television—directly challenging Scottish Television's incumbency. The IBA evaluated bids on programming proposals and cultural alignment, ultimately deeming Scottish Television's submission the "most impressive" for its commitment to regional output. The company secured renewal but under strict conditions: it was required to better reflect Scotland's national and sub-regional identities in content, elevate production standards, and reconstitute its board with independent voices, including theatre director , to address prior criticisms of creative stagnation. By the 1991 renewal, governed by the Broadcasting Act 1990's shift to blind auctions prioritizing cash bids alongside quality safeguards, Scottish Television submitted a minimal annual payment of £2,000 plus 2% of qualifying , facing no viable competing applications due to its established reputation and operational efficiencies under managing director Gus Macdonald. The Independent Television Commission (ITC) awarded the franchise without contest, extending coverage until the next round while mandating sustained investment in . Subsequent renewals in 1998 and beyond proceeded with minimal competition, as regulatory barriers and STV's market dominance deterred challengers, culminating in longer-term licenses under oversight that emphasized compliance over re-bidding.

OFCOM Oversight and Compliance Issues

, as regulator and competition authority for the UK's communications sector, oversees STV's operations as the licensed Channel 3 broadcaster for central and northern , enforcing compliance with the Broadcasting Code, which covers standards on sponsorship, impartiality, advertising, and regional programming obligations. STV must adhere to quotas for regionally originated content and ensure , with conducting periodic reviews and investigations into potential breaches. In January 2009, imposed financial penalties of £5,000 each on STV Central Ltd and STV North Ltd for failing to meet regional production quotas under the Broadcasting Code, as part of a broader sanction across ITV licensees totaling over £250,000 for under-delivering on commitments to air a minimum percentage of programs produced outside . This breach stemmed from systemic shortfalls in fulfilling obligations tied to franchise renewals, highlighting oversight challenges in balancing commercial pressures with regulatory mandates. A more extensive compliance issue arose in 2010, when investigated 57 STV programs following complaints and press reports alleging undue political influence, particularly links to initiatives like Homecoming Scotland under . The regulator found breaches in 18 cases, ruling that sponsorship arrangements violated Section 9 of the Code by allowing commercial references and failing to maintain separation, effectively turning segments into promotional content for government-backed events. No fines were levied, but the findings prompted STV to revise sponsorship practices, underscoring 's scrutiny of potential conflicts between broadcasters and public funders. OFCOM's oversight has also addressed STV's structural proposals, such as the 2025 plan to consolidate news services by ending distinct northern bulletins, which the regulator reviewed for impacts on regional quotas and plurality but ultimately permitted under remit flexibility. These cases reflect ongoing tensions in enforcing compliance amid declining linear TV revenues, with STV cited in OFCOM's periodic reports for meeting core obligations despite market challenges. No major or advertising breaches specific to STV have been upheld by in recent years, though the regulator maintains proactive monitoring via complaint handling and annual performance assessments.

Controversies and Criticisms

Content and Editorial Bias Allegations

In 2017, STV faced controversy over its handling of digital political editor Stephen Daisley, who resigned following complaints from (SNP) MPs accusing him of expressing personal anti-SNP views on social media and retweeting content deemed misogynistic. Daisley, known for critiquing SNP policies, claimed in a subsequent article that STV reassigned him under pressure from the complaints, raising questions about and potential deference to political actors. The incident drew nearly 100 complaints to STV alleging bias in his reporting, though did not investigate formally. Allegations of pro-SNP have surfaced from Unionist-leaning viewers and commentators, particularly in coverage of Scottish . In January 2023, a viewer published in the Scottish Daily Express urged others to report STV for perceived favoritism toward the SNP, citing unbalanced framing in political segments. Similarly, presenter labeled an STV journalist a "chief propagandist" in 2023, implying systemic left-leaning or pro-nationalist slant in reporting. A 2017 forum discussion referenced unverified claims of SNP influence on STV scheduling, prompting an review that found no breach. Conversely, pro-independence sources have accused STV of Unionist leanings, though less prominently than criticisms of . During the 2014 , STV's coverage received fewer bias complaints than public broadcasters, with some analyses portraying it as relatively objective compared to perceived pro-Union tilts elsewhere. Independent ratings, such as Biasly's assessment of as "Somewhat Left" (-12% score), suggest a mild progressive tilt, but records show routine due complaints (e.g., one for at Six in recent logs) typically not upheld or pursued. Overall, STV's editorial controversies appear episodic rather than indicative of , often reflecting polarized viewer expectations in Scotland's divided media landscape, with complaints arising from both nationalist and unionist perspectives without sustained regulatory findings.

Commercial Decisions and Labor Disputes

In , Scottish Television faced two significant labor disputes amid broader industrial tensions in the ITV network. In , a localized conflict arose over manning levels, involving nine transmission controllers affiliated with of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT), who contested proposed reductions in staffing requirements. This was followed by a national ACTT-led strike from August to October, lasting approximately 10 weeks and halting transmissions across most ITV regions, including Scottish Television, due to demands for a 25% pay increase amid high ; the dispute cost the ITV network around £100 million and ended with a settlement below the initial demand. Subsequent commercial pressures from declining advertising revenues and structural changes in prompted further contentious decisions. In 2011, STV announced approximately 20 job cuts, primarily technical roles in operations such as camera and sound crews, as part of a to streamline costs; the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU) opposed the reductions, while National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members voted for potential , though none occurred immediately after STV exempted editorial positions. In May 2018, STV's strategic pivot to prioritize news and entertainment programming led to the closure of its secondary channel STV2 and the elimination of 59 positions, including 25 direct redundancies and 34 additional scrapped roles, triggering a staff walkout at the Glasgow headquarters in protest over the scale of losses. A major pay dispute escalated in 2024, with NUJ members seeking a 6% rise to address inflation-eroded wages amid STV's reported financial strains from softening ad markets. Initial strike action on March 28 disrupted news output in Glasgow and Edinburgh, followed by a second walkout in early May after rejection of an improved offer; the conflict resolved on May 15 when staff accepted a revised pay deal, averting further interruptions. In January 2026, NUJ members at STV held a one-day strike on 7 January at facilities in Glasgow and Aberdeen, protesting proposed compulsory redundancies affecting up to 60 jobs—primarily in news operations—and the planned elimination of the dedicated northern edition of the News at 6 programme. The strike followed a December 2025 ballot with 94% support for action, highlighting opposition to the broadcaster's 2025 cost-cutting initiatives amid declining advertising revenues.

Regional Coverage and 2025 Cost-Cutting Measures

STV's regional coverage encompasses two primary franchise areas: Central Scotland, serving the west and central regions including Glasgow and Edinburgh, and Northern Scotland, covering the northeast, Highlands, and Islands with production hubs in Aberdeen and Dundee. This structure enables localized news bulletins, such as the STV News at Six, with distinct editions tailored to each area, fulfilling ITV's public service obligations for regionally relevant programming and current affairs. Historically, these opt-outs have included coverage of devolved issues like Scottish Parliament proceedings, local elections, and region-specific events, distinguishing STV from national UK-wide ITV output. In September 2025, STV announced a comprehensive cost-savings program amid declining advertising revenue, reporting a £200,000 operating loss for the first half of the year and projecting an 8% drop in third-quarter total advertising revenue. The measures target £2.5 million in annual savings by 2026, including the proposed merger of its Central and Northern programs into a single pan- edition broadcast from , effectively eliminating the dedicated Northern Scotland bulletin. This restructuring, part of broader cuts affecting around 60 roles or 10% of the workforce primarily in operations, requires approval due to ITV's regional quota commitments. STV cited structural shifts in viewer habits toward streaming and on-demand services as exacerbating factors, alongside flat production revenues. The proposals drew criticism for potentially diminishing hyper-local coverage in sparsely populated northern areas, with organizations such as the National Union of Journalists labeling it "cultural vandalism" and the Authority formally objecting to over the loss of tailored northern reporting. STV chief executive Simon Pitts responded in October 2025 parliamentary testimony that the broadcaster remains "deeply committed" to regional news, framing the changes as essential for long-term viability while pledging continued local sourcing and digital enhancements. As of late October 2025, 's decision remains pending, with potential implications for STV's franchise compliance and Scotland's .

Cultural and Economic Impact

Role in Scottish Media Landscape

STV has operated as Scotland's principal commercial television franchise since 1957, delivering the ITV network schedule with extensive regional opt-outs tailored to central (covering over 3.4 million viewers) and northern . This dual structure enables localized programming, including distinct news bulletins for the west and east regions via at Six, alongside current affairs and feature content that addresses Scottish-specific issues often underrepresented in -wide broadcasts. In terms of audience metrics, STV maintains dominance among commercial channels, securing a 21% share of total television viewing in as reported by in 2025, while its peak-time viewership surpasses the combined audience of the next seven commercial competitors on typical evenings. STV News at Six, the broadcaster's flagship evening bulletin, averaged 374,000 viewers with a 33% share in 2024, marking it as 's highest-rated news program for the seventh consecutive year and highlighting its centrality in public information dissemination. Complementing the publicly funded , STV fosters media plurality by prioritizing commercial viability alongside regional relevance, producing content through its division—Scotland's largest independent production entity—that amplifies local cultural narratives for both domestic opt-outs and broader ITV network distribution. This role extends to economic contributions, with STV's broadcasting arm (STV Audience) driving viewer engagement metrics like a 19% peak commercial audience share when including its streaming platform, , thereby sustaining a counterbalance to state-influenced dominance in Scotland's fragmented media environment. Recent structural adjustments, including proposed reductions in northern regional news output amid 2025 cost pressures, have raised concerns about potential erosion of this diversity, yet STV's historical output—encompassing over £71 million in joint first-run Scottish content with ITV in prior years—underscores its enduring function as a vital pillar for independent, commercially oriented journalism and cultural programming in a landscape increasingly challenged by digital fragmentation.

Competition Dynamics with Public Broadcasters

STV, as the ITV franchise holder for central and northern , operates as a commercial broadcaster in direct competition with the publicly funded for audience share, particularly in regional and peak-time programming. This centers on delivering Scotland-specific content, where STV leverages its focus on local relevance to challenge BBC's broader mandate and greater funding from the TV license fee. Despite BBC's substantial resources—exceeding £1 billion annually across operations—STV has frequently outperformed in key metrics, such as evening viewership, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted commercial strategies over subsidized scale. In news programming, STV News at Six has consistently achieved higher average audiences than BBC's Reporting Scotland. For instance, in 2022, STV News at Six averaged 382,000 viewers compared to 340,000 for Reporting Scotland, maintaining a lead despite BBC's launch of extended formats like The Nine in 2019. By 2019, STV's bulletin drew 390,000 viewers with a 30% share in , edging out BBC's 380,000, a trend persisting into 2023 where STV continued to top BBC programs in the slot. This edge stems from STV's emphasis on concise, regionally attuned reporting, contrasting BBC's occasionally criticized broader approach, though both adhere to standards under . Peak-time viewing further underscores the dynamics, with STV securing a 22.5% share in 2022—the highest since 2009—and positioning as Scotland's most-watched channel ahead of during events like the 2024 Euros, where it doubled Netflix's audience share. STV's commercial model incentivizes viewer retention through Scottish-centric entertainment and sports, competing against BBC's national programming, while digital shifts amplify rivalry via platforms like versus . However, BBC's license fee funding insulates it from advertising pressures that drive STV's content decisions, enabling sustained investment in minority-interest output despite lower commercial ratings. Overall, the competition fosters a dual ecosystem: STV's profitability—rising 10% in 2019 amid industry declines—relies on outpacing in accessible, high-engagement slots, while prioritizes comprehensive , including underserved genres, per its . This balance has led to STV widening its lead over in Scotland's viewing hierarchy, with STV claiming four of the top five watched shows in 2024 alongside . Tensions arise in debates, as STV argues for fairer public funding distribution to counter dominance, though both collaborate on national events.

Economic Contributions and Viewer Reach Metrics

STV Group plc generated £188 million in in , up 12% from £168.4 million in 2023, with its operations spanning , digital platforms, and studios primarily supporting Scotland's media sector through and sales. The company's studios division, Scotland's largest independent production entity, contributed £84.1 million in revenue that year, producing 403 hours of television content and maintaining a forward order book of £76 million for future commissions. STV employs an average of 643 staff monthly across its segments, with over 600 direct positions concentrated in Scottish locations such as and , alongside support for a broader freelance workforce in production roles. Through initiatives like the STV Growth Fund, the company has allocated £35 million in discounted or free television advertising inventory to Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since 2018, enabling over 300 businesses to enhance market visibility and drive economic activity. This ecosystem generated £102 million in total sales in 2024, including £92.7 million from broadcast, with 97% of Scotland's top 500 commercial audiences occurring on STV platforms, thereby channeling economic value to local advertisers. STV's investments in acquisitions, such as a 51% stake in Two Cities Television for £6 million, further bolster production capacity and revenue streams tied to Scottish content. In terms of viewer reach, STV broadcast reached 2.8 million adults monthly in , maintaining dominance as Scotland's leading commercial for 363 out of 366 days. The STV Player platform had 2 million active registered users, contributing to an overall digital audience integration. Key programs underscored this engagement: at Six averaged 374,000 viewers with a 33% share in , marking its seventh consecutive year as Scotland's top-rated news bulletin.
MetricValue (2024)Source
All-day average audience (STV channel)129,000 individuals
Top 500 commercial audiences on STV (H1)495 out of 500
reach on STV3.1 million viewers; 48% share
These metrics highlight STV's pivotal role in commercial viewership, with online streams totaling 73 million in the first half of , up 4% year-over-year, reflecting sustained audience demand amid shifting media consumption patterns.

References

  1. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/stv-looks-back-at-65-years-on-air-from-news-to-kids-entertainment
  2. https://player.stv.tv/info/about
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/10/itv-sells-stake-stv-scottish-broadcaster
  4. https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/1/Scottish-Media-Group-plc.html
  5. https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/scottish-media-group-plc
  6. https://teletronic.co.uk/television-history/the-history-of-itv-part-6
  7. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-41109983
  8. http://www.glasgowtheatreroyal.org.uk/stv-years/
  9. https://www.atvtoday.co.uk/264700-stv/
  10. https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/1173543
  11. https://ijosts.glasgow.ac.uk/volume-11/stv-at-60/
  12. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12125362.a-man-of-our-times/
  13. https://tvark.org/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv
  14. https://tvark.org/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv/stv-1985
  15. https://cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/6964/opinion/why-did-stvs-expensive-1985-rebrand-fall-out-of-favour-so-quickly/
  16. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/itw/Scot/history.html
  17. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/scotland-scottish-media-strongholds-scottish-media-groups-acquisition-name-game-buy-smaller-players-meg-carter-reports-expansion/19344
  18. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-scottish-players-9191697.html
  19. https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottishtelevision/posts/1795911614088307/
  20. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jun/24/mediabusiness.television
  21. https://uk.themedialeader.com/smg-acquires-14-9-stake-in-scottish-radio-holdings/
  22. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/aug/03/smg.broadcasting
  23. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/smg-funding-deal-ends-break-up-talk/139173
  24. https://tvark.org/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv/stv-2006
  25. https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12434528.smg-accused-grampian-tv-disappears-rebranding-choice-stv-name-labelled-move-backwards/
  26. https://www.criticaleye.com/inspiring/insights-servfile.cfm?id=635
  27. https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12469264.smg-rebrand-stv-group/
  28. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/aug/26/stv-h1-2010-results
  29. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-13866284
  30. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2020/stv-player-launches-uk-wide-on-freeview-play/
  31. https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/stv-sets-out-creative-and-digital-strategy-for-next-three-years
  32. https://www.stvstudios.com/about-us/
  33. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/stv-group-plc-outlines-fastfwd-strategy-and-targets-to-2030/
  34. https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2025/05/21/stv-to-expand-onto-international-stage/
  35. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/full-year-2025-trading-update/
  36. https://deadline.com/2025/09/stv-studios-entertainment-mighty-production-spend-stopped-1236555559/
  37. https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/scottish-media-group-plc-history/
  38. https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/30203/merger-of-grampian-and-scottish-television-stations
  39. https://www.stvplc.tv/media/rk2fseyu/stv-group-plc-annual-report-and-accounts-2024.pdf
  40. https://mergr.com/company/stv
  41. https://www.stvplc.tv/about-us/governance/
  42. https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/summary?s=STVG:LSE
  43. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/STVG.L/profile/
  44. https://www.stvplc.tv/about-us/leadership/board-of-directors/
  45. https://www.investormeetcompany.com/companies/stv-group-plc/rns/4360863/view
  46. https://www.scottishfinancialnews.com/articles/stv-group-announces-new-ceo-and-board-appointments
  47. https://www.stvplc.tv/about-us/leadership/leadership-team/
  48. https://simplywall.st/stocks/gb/media/bats-chixe-stvgl/stv-group-shares/ownership
  49. https://www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/stv-group-plc-outlines-fastfwd-strategy-and-targets-to-2030/
  50. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/interim-results-and-update-on-cost-savings-plan/
  51. https://simplywall.st/stocks/gb/media/bats-chixe-stvgl/stv-group-shares/management
  52. https://www.scotsman.com/news/fifty-years-on-stv-set-for-studio-switch-2507002
  53. https://transdiffusion.org/2005/10/30/scotlands_media/
  54. https://www.stvplc.tv/contact/
  55. https://www.stvplc.tv/about-us/stv-at-a-glance/broadcast/
  56. https://www.tslproducts.com/tech-insight-hub/case-studies/studios-networks/scottish-television/
  57. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/102217/html/
  58. https://transdiffusion.org/2023/02/06/tv-wizardry-in-and-out-of-the-studios/
  59. https://tslproducts.com/hub-resources/scottish-television/
  60. https://lawo.com/stv/
  61. https://www.yospace.com/case-studies/stv
  62. https://hpaonline.com/scotlands-stv-upgrades-avid-infrastructure-with-next-generation-news-graphics/
  63. https://tvark.org/c/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv/page/6
  64. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/STV_Central
  65. https://tvark.org/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv/stv-2000
  66. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/stv-revamps-logo-second-time-three-years/891750
  67. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/mar/18/stv-group-itv
  68. https://tvark.org/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv/stv-2014
  69. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/may-2014/dixonbaxi-creates-new-energetic-look-for-stv/
  70. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/digital-tv/channel-3
  71. https://cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/22113/opinion/recent-scheduling-of-local-programming-on-itv-1/
  72. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/manage-your-licence/tv/itv/scottishtelevison/stv-central-licence.pdf
  73. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-11568539
  74. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/sep/11/stv-defends-dropping-itv-dramas
  75. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11660866
  76. https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/stv-deeply-committed-regional-news-10561288
  77. https://news.stv.tv/
  78. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/new-on-air-look-for-stv-news/
  79. https://player.stv.tv/categories/news-current-affairs
  80. https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/wiki/Scotland_Tonight
  81. https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/scottish-soap-operas-over-time-4341629
  82. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/lifestyle/13239515.tv-the-history-of-scottish-soaps/
  83. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2023/stv-celebrates-40-years-of-taggart/
  84. https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/23758131.taggart-future-scottish-tv-drama/
  85. https://www.themoviedb.org/network/148?language=en-US
  86. https://www.stvstudios.com/genre/drama/
  87. https://itv.fandom.com/wiki/Scottish_Television
  88. https://player.stv.tv/
  89. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/premier-sports-and-stv-player-team-up-in-new-deal/
  90. https://news.stv.tv/sport/new-partnership-to-bring-premier-sports-channels-to-stv-player
  91. https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcasting/premier-sports-teams-up-with-stv-player/5201569.article
  92. https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/stv-player-and-premier-sports-announce-bargain-streaming-tie-up/
  93. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2020/stv-to-air-first-and-only-film-directed-by-sir-sean-connery/
  94. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379189/
  95. https://player.stv.tv/summary/weirs-way
  96. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4N80fDqwTkTzzH9HHl4XWt9/tom-weir
  97. https://player.stv.tv/categories/documentaries
  98. https://player.stv.tv/summary/up-next-studios-arras
  99. https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/w/index.php?title=STV/schools
  100. https://transdiffusion.org/2007/06/01/for_schools_col/
  101. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/glen-michael-stv-cartoon-cavalcade-childrens-entertainer-dies-aged-99
  102. https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/history/remembering-glasgow-filmed-childrens-tv-25205574
  103. https://www.scotsmagazine.com/articles/top-scottish-kids-tv-shows/
  104. https://www.tvforum.co.uk/tvhome/wkndstv-28998
  105. https://citv.fandom.com/wiki/Squeak%21
  106. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/stv-children-s-appeal-launches-ignite-fund/
  107. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/uncategorised/8428-psb2_phase2/responses/alba.pdf
  108. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyx21kg1yddo
  109. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11897868.stv-to-increase-gaelic-output/
  110. https://ijosts.glasgow.ac.uk/volume-11/gaelic-television-building-bricks-without-straw/
  111. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2011/625/pdfs/ukia_20110625_en.pdf
  112. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2024/stv-confirms-renewal-of-channel-3-licences/
  113. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1954/jul/12/television-bill
  114. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1209779
  115. https://transdiffusion.org/2024/08/31/scotlands-tv-boss/
  116. https://tvark.org/c/branding/itv-network/itv-regions/stv
  117. https://transdiffusion.org/2014/10/06/the-television-act/
  118. https://www.78rpm.co.uk/scottish.htm
  119. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/about-ofcom/bulletins/broadcast-bulletins/archive/obb126/issue26.pdf
  120. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jan/16/itv-ofcom-fine-regional
  121. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/26/stv-ofcom-sponsorship
  122. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/7910995/18-STV-shows-were-adverts-for-ministers-Ofcom-rules.html
  123. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/about-ofcom/bulletins/broadcast-bulletins/archive/obb163/issue163.pdf
  124. https://www.digitalspy.com/media/a250835/ofcom-raps-stv-over-sponsorship-breaches/
  125. https://cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/23250/opinion/ofcom-decision-regarding-stv-news-could-set-precedent-for-other-itv-regions/
  126. https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/12/17/ofcom-psbs-facing-challenges/
  127. https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/broadcast/stv-political-editor-stephen-daisley-resigns-after-scottish-politicians-complaints-to-media-company/
  128. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15029547.journalist-snp-gagging-row-stephen-daisley-quits-stv/
  129. https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/broadcast/snp-slammed-by-former-stv-journalist-i-learned-the-hard-way-that-journalism-and-nationalism-do-not-mix/
  130. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/angry-stv-viewer-urges-disillusioned-28981626
  131. https://www.thenational.scot/news/23256421.gb-news-dan-wootton-launches-attack-stv-journalist-propagandist/
  132. https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2215497/stv-snp-television
  133. https://www.thenational.scot/politics/24223089.selective-comparisons-broadcasters-give-misleading-picture/
  134. https://www.biasly.com/sources/stv-news-media-bias/
  135. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/about-ofcom/foi/2024/august/annex-a-foi-complaints-media-bias-coverage-israel-hamas-01849128.xlsx?v=374007
  136. https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/06/30/research-bbc-scotland-news-constructs-a-far-more-anxious-and-conservative-world-than-stv-news-does/
  137. https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/wiki/Scottish_Television
  138. https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/sep/05/columnists.observerbusiness2
  139. https://itv.fandom.com/wiki/1979_ITV_Strike
  140. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-15186884
  141. https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/bectu-fights-job-cuts-as-stv-confirms-news-restructure/s2/a546266/
  142. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/stv-staff-walk-out-glasgow-12546532
  143. https://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2018/05/16/stv-2-shutting-down-at-the-end-of-june/
  144. https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/stv-dispute-ends-as-improved-pay-offer-accepted.html
  145. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmj6v1rg6g8o
  146. https://www.thenational.scot/news/24323303.stv-strikes-called-off-staff-accept-pay-offer/
  147. https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/support-the-stv-strike.html
  148. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3knlzx1r4o
  149. https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2025/09/26/stv-to-reduce-regional-news-output-as-advertising-falls/
  150. https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/broadcast/stv-to-make-60-job-cuts-with-two-news-programmes-merging/
  151. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/concern-proposed-job-north-news-35965616
  152. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/stv-to-cut-60-jobs-and-plans-one-news-programme-for-scotland
  153. https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/stv-decision-to-cut-jobs-and-programming-an-act-of-cultural-vandalism.html
  154. https://cairngorms.co.uk/news/park-authority-objects-to-stv-cuts-proposal
  155. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/stv-deeply-committed-regional-news-36039660
  156. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/cuts-to-stv-news-coverage-alarming-5338545
  157. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/multi-sector/media-nations/2025/media-nations-2025-scotland.pdf?v=401096
  158. https://www.stvcommercial.tv/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Consumer-Insights_Half-year-highlights-2024.pdf
  159. https://www.stvcommercial.tv/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Insights-Book-2024.pdf
  160. https://www.stvplc.tv/about-us/stv-at-a-glance/
  161. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/stv-group-plc-full-year-results-to-31-december-2024/
  162. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmscotaf/1048/report.html
  163. https://www.gov.scot/publications/letter-from-the-cabinet-secretary-for-constitution-external-affairs-and-culture-to-stvs-chief-executive/
  164. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2025/stv-provides-evidence-to-scottish-parliament/
  165. https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/stv-s-news-at-six-outperforms-every-bbc-scotland-news-programme-80nflz5bt
  166. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/stv-wins-scottish-news-rating-21296399
  167. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20200116/281672551892893
  168. https://www.stvplc.tv/newsroom/2023/stv-group-plc-full-year-results-to-31-december-2022/
  169. https://www.scotsman.com/business/stv-hails-scotlands-most-watched-tv-moment-of-the-year-as-revenues-jump-by-fifth-4766485
  170. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-50269630
  171. https://www.thenational.scot/news/17878241.stv-bucking-trend-10-profit-rise-beating-bbc1-channel-4/
  172. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/scottish-audiences-are-biggest-users-of-youtube-in-the-uk
  173. https://www.stvcommercial.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FINAL-Social-Impact-Report.pdf
  174. https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcasters/stv-studios-drives-soaring-group-revenues/5202808.article
  175. https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/09/03/stv-h1-revenue-up-20/
  176. https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1323-16934104-1VGKAJ9D8ME1F4KBOQ5JTL05D5
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.