A round-up of the week’s stories and observations.
- MON 11TH MAR (7.30PM)
NUJ members at STV vote overwhelmingly for strike over pay - THU 14TH MAR (7.15PM)
NUJ confirms strike dates at STV - FRI 15TH MAR (7.30PM)
Technical issues delay start of BBC Look North (Yorkshire) - SAT 16TH MAR (8.55PM)
St Patrick’s presentation from BBC Northern Ireland - SUN 17TH MAR (12.50PM)
No St Patrick’s presentation from RTÉ this year
Monday 11th March
7.30pm NUJ members at STV vote overwhelmingly for strike over pay
Journalists at STV’s offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness have voted 89% in favour of strike action, in pursuit of a 6% pay increase.
Last-minute talks at the conciliation service ACAS broke down.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the NUJ’s national organiser for Scotland said: “Our members are dedicated and talented professionals who have made STV Scotland’s most-watched peak-time TV channel for the fifth consecutive year – but they have had enough of being told they should accept below inflation pay rises at a time when the company boasts of record revenues.”
A spokesperson for STV said the offer made to staff is “fair and financially sustainable” and it was “disappointed” by the outcome of the vote.
“We have a track record of looking after our people and supporting their financial wellbeing,” a spokesperson said.
“In addition to salary awards at or in excess of inflation over recent years, with the exception of during Covid, we have made a number of additional cost of living and bonus payments to colleagues over the past two years when many other companies have not.”
Strike dates are expected to be confirmed later this week.
Thursday 14th March
7.15pm NUJ confirms strike dates at STV
The National Union of Journalists has confirmed that STV journalists will take part in strike action on 28th March and 16th April.
More details above.
Friday 15th March
7.30pm Technical issues delay start of BBC Look North (Yorkshire)
Viewers in Yorkshire received BBC London News for a time this evening, instead of the usual BBC Look North from Leeds.
BBC Look North was delayed by over five minutes due to technical issues.
Saturday 16th March
8.55pm St Patrick’s presentation from BBC Northern Ireland
Special St Patrick’s-themed stings are in use on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Two Northern Ireland this weekend.
Sunday 17th March
12.50pm No St Patrick’s presentation from RTÉ this year
Financial pressures being as they are at RTÉ, it’s perhaps no surprise that there’s been no special on-screen presentation to mark the St Patrick’s festivities this year.
Standard idents today on RTÉ One (RTÉ 2 doesn’t normally do anything special for St Patrick’s).
Though we should acknowledge that the usual festive DOGs are in use on both channels.
An example here of the ident link for live coverage of the Dublin parade:
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Acknowledgements
PICTURED: BBC Two Northern Ireland sting. COPYRIGHT: BBC.