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STV News: a new but familiar look

Posted on 20th August 2025
By Andrew Nairn
Last updated on 20th August 2025
Filed under Opinion

The revamp of STV News looks good but is hardly worth the hyperbole of some clickbait articles.

It is a simple evolution of the look of the programme.

Its last significant visual overhaul was 10 years ago. Time alone means it is now time to freshen things up.

Everything changes but everything remains the same.

The new set is still a very similar shade of blue. The signature tune has only been remixed slightly.

The format of the programme – revised last year when dual presentation from both Glasgow and Edinburgh ended – remains the same.

The advantage of the new set is that it looks more modern and allows more space for reporters to join the presenter.

But I bet 90% of viewers will hardly notice the changes in a couple of weeks. And this is how it should be.

VIDEO: STV News at Six (Glasgow). Presenter: John MacKay (news); Raman Bhardwaj (sport); Sean Batty (weather). TX DATE/TIME: 20th August 2025, 6pm. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.
VIDEO: STV News at Six (Aberdeen). Presenter: Norman MacLeod (news); Chris Harvey (sport); Sean Batty (weather). TX DATE/TIME: 20th August 2025, 6pm. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.
VIDEO: STV News (Glasgow). Presenter: John MacKay (news); Sean Batty (weather). TX DATE/TIME: 20th August 2025, 1.20pm. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.
VIDEO: STV News (Aberdeen) (edited). Presenter: Norman MacLeod (news); Philip Petrie (weather). TX DATE/TIME: 18th August 2025, 10.50pm. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.

The days when regional news programmes got brand new looks every two or three years are thankfully gone.

New looks always brought complaints – some viewers simply disliked the unfamiliarity.

The STV News at 6 is a successful programme. The challenge was to build a new set, refresh the graphics and potentially enhance the programme without annoying loyal viewers.

There have been no changes to the format.

I mentioned how many regional news programmes used to get new looks more often than weather presenters changed their hairstyle.

By my reckoning there were five distinct looks for what was then Scotland Today between 1986 and 1996. Each change brought completely new titles, music and sets plus alterations to the format.

In contrast News at Ten stayed fundamentally unchanged from 1967 to 1992. Each new look kept the core elements and format, simply freshening up the appearance and taking advantage of new technology.

There is no suggestion of any change to the format of STV News soon.

Dropping the Edinburgh sub-opt would need Ofcom approval.

So would fundamental changes like an end to the separate programme for the former Grampian region.

Whether they’d ever dare to record this in Glasgow at 5pm – aping some English regions – is another question.

So, all in all it’s an attractive new look but one which will quickly become very familiar.

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FEATURE IMAGE:

PICTURED: STV News (Aberdeen). COPYRIGHT: STV Group.

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Tags: Chris Harvey, John Mackay, Norman MacLeod, Philip Petrie, Raman Bhardwaj, Sean Batty, STV Group, STV News

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