My Column

Cuts are bad news for staff and viewers

  • Date: Monday 21st May 2018
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It’s a Scottish institution that’s given us everything from the White Heather Club to Taggart over the last 60 years – and now STV has announced plans for a reorganisation that has sent shockwaves through the media industry.

The channel will close its second channel STV2 as it shifts towards online content, and the subsequent restructuring will result in almost 60 job losses.

The reality of the announcement hit home last week, and it was a shock to see familiar faces at the channel lead staff out of the channel’s Glasgow headquarters to demonstrate over plans to cut jobs.

STV2, which only launched in 2017, brought together the company's local television stations for Glasgow and Edinburgh.

There were some moments of TV gold from the channel – like EuroMillions winner Jane Park having a glass of water thrown over her during an altercation with a professional wrestler, and STV2 news presenter Nick Sheridan getting a fit of the giggles as he read out a local new story about a nude pensioner 'terrorising guests and staff' while drunk at a hotel.

But it seems that behind the scenes, it’s not all been about the laughs.  STV revealed its pre-tax profit had slipped slightly from £18.3m in 2016 to £18m last year, and STV2 posted losses of £800,000 for a 12-month period.

The local channel’s flagship magazine programme, Live at Five, still managed to scoop a prestigious Scottish Royal Television Society award recently too – so the news is a real shock.

STV said the reorganisation would save £2m, and when STV2 ceases to broadcast next month, investment will shift to the main channel and the STV Player.

The original vision for STV2 was to provide content tailored to suit Scotland’s cities, and information on local issues not covered on the bigger channels. Not being given the chance to see that develop is a real blow for communities across the country.

Local news is making great strides online; Glasgow Live is a great example of what’s working well at the moment and I think we’ll see a lot more sites like that for other cities in the very near future.

It’s that mix of being tuned into news at a local, regional and national level that’s pushing us into the frame for the Channel 4 bid.

Glasgow would be a great fit for Channel 4. The city has a thriving arts scene, is culturally diverse and is home to two other big broadcasters.  

News of the closure of a local channel isn’t a great message to send out at this stage in the journey.

But if Channel 4 is interested in our film credentials, then we’re onto a winner.

The Scottish Government and Creative Scotland are working hard to attract film studios to Glasgow and with the huge success of Outlander, Avengers Infinity War and the new Benedict Cumberbatch series Patrick Melrose, we have never been in a better position.

But we narrowly missed out as a filming location for Game of Thrones, reportedly due to a ‘lack of infrastructure’. Now, we can only look wistfully across the Irish Sea as our neighbours enjoy an exponential tourism boost thanks to Game of Thrones fans flocking to see locations featured within the programme.

Despite the bad news about STV2, I think we’re still in a really good position. After all, the BBC is still planning to invest in the region of £30million in a new Scottish channel too.

I respect STV’s decision to move with the times and to invest on a bigger scale over the next three years – but losing 59 members of staff is a drastic measure.

I really hope that employees who will lose their jobs at STV2 will go on to quickly find work in other parts of the media. 

 

 

SIDE

Banks investing in SMEs and supporting start-ups is a vital part of the Scottish economy.

I think that it’s important that as well as celebrating the growth of SMEs, we recognise the part that financial institutions play in encouraging their development.

The Bank of Scotland recently pledged to support construction projects across LAR Housing, the University of the West of Scotland’s EcoCampus in Hamilton, Bothwell Exchange offices in Glasgow and GSS Group’s office and retail development in Edinburgh – equating to an investment of £163.5 million.

And this dedication led to the bank being crowned ‘Funder of the Year’ at the 2018 Scottish Property Awards.

It’s great for an investment of this magnitude to be recognised but providing funding is just the first step in the process.

There has to be an aftercare system in place: businesses should be on-hand to provide help and advice and to advise on investment strategy as projects progress.

SMEs can make a huge difference to our economy with the right support. They’re good at embracing shifts in technology and reflecting changes in society, and this flexibility in moving with the times stands them in good stead for the future.

Many of the companies involved in large-scale construction projects are SMEs, so they’re crucial in helping the government reach its target of building one million new homes by 2022.

I hope that with continued investment from big players like Bank of Scotland – not just to finance projects but to offer expert business advice to help companies flourish – the construction industry, and our economy will continue to thrive.

 

 

 

 

 

LAUGH

Edinburgh hoteliers will be laughing all the way to the bank as reports revealed the cost of an overnight stay in the capital rose three times the UK average last year.

Room rates increased by 12.4 per cent to an average £103.29 per night, and Glasgow wasn’t far behind with a 5.2 per cent increase to £72.10 per night.

This news comes in the same week that Edinburgh took top spot in a list of the UK’s best short-break destinations – in terms of food, drink, sightseeing and transport – for the third consecutive year.

With plans underway for further investment in our hotels, the visitor economy is looking vibrant. The more people choose to stay in hotels, the more businesses will benefit.  

 

WEEP

I’ve lost count of the number of retailers who have been shamed for their errors in sizing over the years. It was New Looks turn last week when it emerged that it charged up to 15 per cent more for a plus-size version of the same item.

The National Obesity Forum reckoned this could be an incentive to stay in shape – lose weight and you pay less. I think that’s a terrible way to look at things.  

New Look was quick to apologise and emphasised how much it values all customers.  

OK, so there may be a little more material involved in some of the styles, but this seems very unfair.  

 

I hope that other retailers don’t start to go down the same route. 

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