STV will broadcast its last full news programme from the north of Scotland this evening following controversial plans by the broadcaster’s bosses to save £2.5 million by next year.
Friday’s News at Six bulletin will be the last full programme to be broadcast from the company's Aberdeen studio, after Ofcom approved the decision to remove STV’s dedicated north of Scotland television news programme and axe 28 jobs.
News bulletins seen in the north of Scotland will now be presented from Glasgow.
Ofcom approved the plans in June despite opposition from the Scottish Government, all the leaders of Scotland’s political parties and unions.
Under the change, STV's two separate news services will effectively merge into one, where the broadcaster up until now had a dedicated service for the Central Belt and another for the north.
From Monday, the majority of the News at Six programme will be shown in both regions, with a requirement for just under a third of the programme to be from each area.
Journalist Norman MacLeod will present the final STV News at Six programme, and will retire from the industry after reporting for almost 40 years across the north of Scotland.
MacLeod said it has been a “privilege” to bring the news to viewers across the north of Scotland for almost four decades.
He added: “I’ve had an incredible career at STV, working alongside some truly wonderful colleagues who have made it so special. I’ll miss the team enormously, but the time feels right to embark on a new adventure.
"As a presenter, you are welcomed into people’s homes each evening, and earning their trust is a responsibility I have never taken lightly. It’s been an honour to serve our audience in this way for the past four decades.”
STV has argued the changes to the news service will ensure the broadcaster's sustainability for years to come.
Chief executive Rufus Radcliffe said: “As a commercial public service broadcaster that receives no public funding, we are focused on the future and what we do best - trusted news and high-quality content that continues to resonate with audiences across all of Scotland.”
However, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been outspoken against the decision to end the north of Scotland broadcast, calling it a “fundamental mistake”.
The NUJ warned it could cause “long-term damage to journalism across Scotland, and the ability of local journalism to inform voters and local communities”.
The union argued it would create a precedent for other licence holders to reduce their public service broadcasting obligations, diminishing the news output produced across the nations and regions.
