STV to launch 'TV first' flagship news programme next year

Broadcaster STV has announced plans for a flagship news programme which will bring together Scottish, UK and international stories in one show.

Head of news Gordon Macmillan said the programme – to be called STV News Tonight – would be a “TV first”, taking the “best of Scottish, UK and international news in a single programme and presented in the way that solely meets the needs of a Scottish audience”.

BBC Scotland has been piloting three different versions of a so-called “Scottish Six” news programme but has not yet announced its plans.

The STV show will be broadcast from early 2017 on the STV2 network.

Rather than being an alternative to the existing format with separate Scottish and UK bulletins, it will be broadcast in addition to these.

Bobby Hain, director of channels at STV, revealed details of the programme at a seminar on the future of television organised by Scotland Policy Conferences.

He told the event in Edinburgh: “What we’re not doing is figuring out if this is a replacement for what we already do, this is a different way of doing it and, most importantly, it’s a choice.

“You can watch the current configuration of news with the Scottish news at 6pm, national and international at 6.30pm, and then you can have a fully contextualised mix of all these stories at 7pm.”

He said the broadcaster’s “approach to the provision of public services is centred around news and current affairs”.

Mr Hain added: “We’re announcing today, for the first time, an new integrated news service which brings together local, Scottish, UK national and international news in a bulletin of half an hour every night at 7pm.

“This flagship bulletin will be shown on STV2 every night from when the station relaunches from quarter one of next year.

“We will be able to feature material from different Scottish cities, feature the big UK stories of the day and also reach out for international contributions from around the world on a nightly basis.”

He said: “We’re committed to delivering choice for our consumers and we believe there is an appetite for a nightly news programme that combines Scottish, UK and international news.

“STV News Tonight will be produced and presented live from Glasgow, drawing on the newsgathering resources of both STV news across Scotland and ITV news worldwide.”

Mr Macmillan said: “This is a programme whose merits have been long-debated in Scotland.

“I’m delighted that it is STV that will bring this landmark new programme to Scotland’s screens.

“Viewers can look forward to yet another TV first: the best of Scottish, UK and international news in a single programme and presented in the way that solely meets the needs of a Scottish audience.”

BBC should broadcast Scottish Six news programme, say MPs