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Search forITV axes 429 jobs and Plymouth studio
Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 11:54
The studio will close by the middle of March next year, with the loss of almost all its 88 jobs, as ITV Westcountry is merged with Bristol-based ITV West.
A tiny bureau will remain, employing just four people: a correspondent, a reporter, a cameraman and a film editor.
A similar bureau will continue to operate in Exeter as local news is reduced to a 15-minute slot in the main news bulletin.
There will also be a bureau in Cornwall, and a reporter in Barnstaple.
John Andrews, the Plymouth station’s National Union of Journalists spokesman, said: “To put it bluntly, we aren’t in a strong position. Making news programmes costs several times what ITV gets back in advertising revenue.
“They have said that if we push them too far they will just hand back their licences.
“I don’t see any prospect of strikes in Plymouth.
“We’re between a rock and a hard place.”
He said there were about 150 jobs in Bristol and Plymouth now, and 84 of those would go.
ITV had agreed to a redundancy package of three weeks’ pay for every year worked, up to a maximum of £36,000, Mr Andrews said.
Across Devon 186 jobs will go, but an ITV spokesman refused to say how many Plymouth jobs would be lost. He said 429 jobs would be cut across all regional services as the broadcaster sought to save £40million.
A letter sent to journalists, technical staff and other employees said nationally, staff would be reduced from 1,075 to 646, a cut of 429 jobs.
The NUJ has warned the company that any attempt to force through the changes without meaningful negotiations will be met with strong resistance, including the possibility of industrial action.
NUJ national broadcasting organiser Paul McLaughlin said: “Unless ITV meaningfully engages with unions over its plans for the future of regional news, industrial action seems inevitable.
“Any attempts to force through these massive cuts will be met with strong resistance.”
Luke Pollard, who is Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for South West Devon, said: “This is the news we have long feared, as ITV puts profits before its public service commitments.
“The loss of ITV Westcountry will not only mean poorer-quality and less relevant news for local people; it will also mean 90 talented people in Plympton will lose their jobs.
“This decision has been taken by bean-counters at ITV in London who do not understand Devon and Cornwall.
“I suspect the news coverage from now on will reflect this distance too.”
Laura Davison, assistant broadcasting officer of the NUJ, said it was ‘a really bad day’ for ITV News staff.
“We do not accept the level of cuts ITV News wants to make and it is difficult to see how we can avoid a fight over this,” said Ms Davison.
She added that she could not rule out the possibility of industrial action by ITV staff as part of a campaign to try to reverse the planned job losses.
Related news:
ITV may give up public service remit
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