Anger as ITV axes 40% of news jobs

ITV News came under attack from unions and MPs tonight after announcing plans to axe more than 400 jobs across its regional services under plans to save millions of pounds.

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Unions representing journalists and technical workers warned of industrial action to fight the proposal to axe 40 per cent of staff, although in one region workers said the cuts amounted to 50 per cent of employees.

Politicians condemned the cuts as a "major setback" for public service broadcasting and an attack on ITV's regional news coverage and criticised the role of media regulator Ofcom.

Labour MP John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington), secretary of the National Union of Journalists' parliamentary group said: "Not only are hundreds of hard-working journalists facing job losses but our communities are facing a sizeable attack to the regional news provision they rely upon.

"High quality public service broadcasting on public and commercial channels, including regional news provision, is absolutely integral to our society. It links up people across the UK in a democratic process of debate.

"I am extremely disappointed that Ofcom has allowed these cuts to take place."

A letter sent to journalists, technical staff and other employees in England and Wales said current staffing levels of 1,075 would be reduced to 646, a cut of 429 jobs.

The company has already said it wants to make savings of £40m and unions were braced for details of job cuts with officials saying their worst fears had been realised.

NUJ 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.

"Today's announcement just goes to show the crisis facing public service broadcasting. Viewers will doubtless be asking how a regulator required by Parliament to maintain and strengthen public service broadcasting is allowing this to happen."

Luke Crawley, national officer of the technicians' union Bectu, said 17 separate news programmes would be reduced to nine regions, which was bound to have an adverse effect on quality.

"Instead of Newcastle and Carlisle having separate 25-minute regional news programmes, there will be one programme for both regions, which means many viewers will not be able to watch news local to them."

Bectu also warned of industrial action to fight compulsory redundancies.

Staff at one meeting were told that three programmes in the South of England - Meridian South, Meridian East and Thames Valley - will become one, leading to at least a 50 per cent cut in jobs.

ITV News said it expected around 430 jobs to be lost across the group and, while volunteers were being sought, it could not rule out compulsory redundancies.

John Cresswell, ITV's chief operating officer, said: "We are committed to a self-help, self-funding, solution to securing ITV's future. In order to sustain our investment in UK content, we have to keep on top of our cost base."

The company said in a statement: "Having today outlined the proposals for regional news with employees across the ITV News Group, ITV plc is providing further details of its cost efficiency programme, first announced as part of the ITV Turnaround Strategy in September 2007 and updated at the ITV year-end results in March 2008 and interims in August 2008.

"The cost efficiency programme is designed to sustain ITV plc's £1bn investment in UK content, which is at the heart of the Turnaround Strategy.

"In September 2007 ITV plc announced that it would deliver £40m of annual savings in its regional news services, taking effect in 2009. We shall now begin consultation with employees over proposals to reduce the headcount."

ITV said in its interim results in August that by the end of the year it would deliver £41m in cumulative annual savings.

The company also indicated that, in the face of "challenging market conditions", it intended to make further cost savings of £35m across the company by 2010.

The statement added: "Following restructures of the finance, press and publicity, brand and commercial and ITV global content divisions - including Northern Resources - ITV can confirm that (also including the impact of disposals) its group headcount has been reduced by almost 425 positions to date with a further 75 roles which are in the final stages of consultation. A separate review of ITV's technology department begins today.

"In total, and including company disposals, ITV plc expects to reduce headcount by around 1,000 posts over 2008 and the first two months of 2009."

Media regulator Ofcom published its second public service broadcasting review last week which proposed that regional programmes on ITV could be slashed to help it save £40 million a year.

Labour MP Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby), said: "Ofcom should hold off these cuts and stop ITV reducing news and regional coverage until all the issues have been thoroughly discussed. The company has been contracted to maintain these services and that contract runs for many years yet."

Plaid Cymru Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy) said: "These cuts will be a serious blow to regional programming. From a Welsh perspective, I am concerned that it will have a devastating impact on the service provided to Welsh viewers thus having a negative effect on the quality of the service provided."

"Viewers have a right to see their own lives and culture reflected on television programmes, particularly when it comes to news. ITV Wales needs journalists and these job losses will have a detrimental effect on the service the channel will be able to provide."

Unions will meet ITV on Thursday to discuss the job cuts.