Exclusive:STV boss accused of not being 'entirely candid' with Commons committee over viewing figures

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused STV managing director Bobby Hain of not being fully open with the Scottish Affairs Committee over STV North’s viewing share.

Mr Hain told MPs “we cannot supply numbers for individual parts of our licence area” when asked by SNP MP Dave Doogan about STV North having 40 per cent of STV News at Six’s audience share.

But a leaked email from the NUJ to the Scottish Affairs Committee revealed that STV chief executive Rufus Radcliffe presented those numbers to his staff in June this year.

STV plans to cut 60 jobs and axe the Aberdeen-based north of Scotland news programme as part of cost-cutting measures.

Angus and Perthshire Glens MP Mr Doogan said: "This is a shocking revelation because if STV chiefs attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of MPs and the public then that is a very serious matter - they know STV North is a successful programme and now we know just how dominant its viewing figures are.

"It looks clear to all that STV profits were on the rise, the share of viewing figures are high and that an STV boss may have been less than forthright with the truth in his dealings with MPs - they've badly misjudged these plans and it now seems they’ve been utterly exposed.

"The North of Scotland programme is a success story and must be protected - the bosses in charge need to put the foot on the brake and put these terrible plans into reverse."

At the Scottish Affairs Committee last month, Mr Doogan asked Mr Hain about the viewing figures.

He said: “Can you write to us for clarity on both of those points about where there is another more successful regional broadcast on the ITV network, what the actual viewing figures were for last night and the 40 per cent figure for STV North? It would be helpful to get that defined.”

Mr Hain replied: “We can do that, but we cannot supply numbers for individual parts of our licence area, other than an all-Scotland number, which is the number you referred to, or 309,000.”

In the email to the Scottish Affairs Committee, the NUJ said; “It is our belief that the company is not being entirely candid with the disclosure of these figures, as it undermines their case for changing the current news programmes.”

STV announced the plans to cut its north of Scotland programme in September.

The broadcaster is seeking £2.5m in savings by next year. It comes after it announced a £200,000 loss in the first six months of 2025.

It currently has two separate news programmes. One for the north - based in Aberdeen - and a Glasgow-based central belt programme.

It plans to go forward with just the Glasgow programme covering the whole of the country.

The news after STV North’s accounts showed its post-tax profits rose to £9,273,000 in 2024. The accounts were filed one day after Mr Radcliffe attempted to justify the planned cuts to MPs at Westminster.

A STV spokesperson said: “We refute the accusations made by Mr Doogan in the strongest terms. STV is a highly regulated business, and we operate with integrity and honesty in all that we do.

“STV audience data is provided by BARB and published only as a combined figure for both our licence areas together. This combined data is official, reliable and statistically robust. This is consistent with the information that Bobby Hain provided at evidence sessions in Holyrood and Westminster and we stand by this.”