UTV television in Northern Ireland has been urged to reconsider plans to make 35 journalists redundant and to cut key news programmes from its schedule.
Politicians on the Northern Ireland Assembly Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee expressed concern that the restructuring plan would result in a “dumbing down” of the channel’s news operation.
Journalists have been offered voluntary redundancy, with station managers blaming the challenging economic environment and communications regulator Ofcom’s recent public service broadcasting proposals for the restructuring.
Ofcom has proposed that UTV’s news output may be cut from about five hours a week to four and that non-news output can be reduced from four hours to 90 minutes. The Stormont committee will ask the regulator to extend its consultation on the changes to the end of January.
About 35 journalists at the 118-strong TV division will be offered redundancy, which the station says is on a voluntary basis. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said, however, that what was on offer amounted to compulsory redundancy.
Assembly member Dominic Bradley expressed concern at today's committee meeting at plans to drop the investigative news programme Insight. The cutbacks will also bring an end to news and current affairs programmes Late and Liveand UTV Life.
“If you have been watching UTV recently you can see how they are dumbing down some of the late-night programmes. “I don’t want to name any in particular, but you can see how they are dumbing down their current affairs output to something which is current affairs-lite,” Mr Bradley said.
Ulster Unionist committee vice-chairman David McNarry said sport would virtually go out the window and news would be “whittled down”.
“We are dealing with more than just a TV station, we are dealing with the integrity of a public service and its continued ability to deliver programmes of community issues,” he added.
NUJ Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley called on UTV to withdraw the threat of redundancies and said that for the company to proceed with its “flawed proposals” would be “precipitative and acting in bad faith”.
Mr Dooley led an NUJ delegation at a meeting with committee chairman Barry McElduff, and vice chairman David McNarry, at Stormont yesterday.
”The support of the assembly committee reflected ongoing concern among all sectors of the community in Northern Ireland at the proposal by UTV to slash up to 35 jobs which is being strongly opposed by both the NUJ and [broadcasting union] Bectu," Mr Dooley said.
Mr Dooley said it was "disingenuous" of UTV management to suggest there was genuine ongoing consultation given that that 'voluntary' redundancy process was, in effect, compulsory.
“It had been made clear that staff who do not apply for voluntary redundancy may face compulsory redundancy on less favourable terms,” Mr Dooley said.
In a statement, UTV managing director Michael Wilson said: “No-one is more committed to high-quality regional production for Northern Ireland than UTV. We have a proven track record in this area which is second to none.”
“We are currently in the process of consulting with our staff, regulator and elected representatives on our future programming proposals which guarantee first-class news, current affairs and sport coverage as well as a wide and diverse portfolio of regional programmes for our audience going forward, as we do now.”
Additional reporting: PA