Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee 09 October 2025
Thank you, convener, for the opportunity to join the committee this morning. As colleagues know, I am one of the north-east MSPs, and STV North is located in my constituency. It is safe to say that STV has felt like the beating heart of news coverage in the north-east, along with former Grampian TV, for as long as I can remember. Therefore, the relocation of STV North to the central belt is devastating and brings to an end 60 years of regional news coverage.
I do not mind which of our witnesses comes in on this. I am interested to hear a bit more detail on the importance of local journalism that truly understands and is tuned into the social, economic and cultural aspects of the region. Do you agree that the withdrawal of STV North from Aberdeen risks
“silencing the voice of the North-east at a critical time”
when
“issues such as energy transition and the future of the North Sea are of national importance”,
and not just regional importance? Those are the words of the chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Could you also provide a sense of the impact of the announcement on local career opportunities for young people in the north-east who want to break into a career in the media and who are interested in building their skills and telling local stories that really matter to communities? What impact will the announcement have on, for example, traineeships, apprenticeships and sustaining a pipeline of top-quality north-east journalists?
I draw members’ attention to Robert Gordon University, which is also in my constituency. The school of journalism has a strong collaboration with STV North through student placements and through a memorial bursary for Donald John MacDonald, that wonderful former editor who was with STV for many years and who is remembered through that bursary opportunity.