STV 'still relevant' without some ITV shows

THE chief executive of broadcaster STV today insisted that opting out of ITV programmes was best for Scotland despite an ongoing legal wrangle with the network.

Rob Woodward said that relations with ITV were tense since it launched a £38 million legal claim against STV's move to drop shows such as The Bill.

But opting out of ITV programmes allowed STV to make a more "relevant" and "compelling" schedule for Scotland, he said.

STV has opted out of several peak-time shows in favour of home-grown programmes but ITV said this has retrospectively breached their network agreements.

Mr Woodward said STV is prepared to go to court but this is not its desired route.

"We are using a right to opt out under a clause called the devolution clause which was put in place ten years ago at the time of devolution," he said.

"We have an extremely strong defence and at the heart of this dispute is basically ITV's questioning of our ability to invoke the devolution clause, which is there in black and white.

"It is a clause that has never been tested before but it is there absolutely in black and white."

This year STV is opting out of around 230 hours of ITV network programmes and it hopes to do the same next year.

It takes around 90% of its programmes from ITV and plans to continue to do so.

Mr Woodward announced some upcoming new programmes, such as Scots At War, a documentary about Scottish soldiers in Afghanistan and other wars through history, and Make Me Happier, a series about Scots living with emotional ill health.

STV also hopes to secure funding to produce a one-hour six o'clock news programme for Scotland, which Mr Woodward said will cost around £15 million a year.

"We're not ITV in Scotland. We have our own distinct identity and we have chosen not to simply broadcast a schedule from London.

"There are a number of programmes that are served up by ITV that are simply not going to rate in Scotland. Al Murray's Happy Hour is a clear example of that.

"It's about taking control of our destiny and delivering a relevant and affordable schedule to our audiences.

"But what we are definitely not becoming is a tartan and shortbread channel."

He said that programmes such as Made In Scotland and Scotland Revealed had got good audience figures, both outperforming ITV, while programmes such as the Susan Boyle documentary and Rebus were in the top 100 best-watched commercial programmes so far this year.

Bobby Hain, STV's broadcasting chief, also defended the channel's decision to drop The Bill.

"Where we have replaced The Bill with programmes we've made ourselves, actually we've done better than The Bill on most of the occasions," he said.

"I think it does look like the right decision. Would we consider The Bill in the future? Yes, we're open-minded."