news Fear over jobs as Sky acquires part of ITV
THE NUJ has demanded assurances over Sky’s £1.6 billion takeover of ITV’s Media and
Entertainment division. US company Comcast, the Philadelphia-based media giant that owns Sky, has been urged by the union to preserve jobs and programming at what will be the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, pointed out that the deal had been struck after months of speculation, which had caused uncertainty and anxiety among members. The NUJ leader called on the new owners to invest in local and regional news that would continue to serve audiences across the UK. She added: “We note the commitment that ITV
channels and ITVX will remain free to air, that ITV News will remain distinct from Sky News, and that ‘all public service broadcasting commitments will continue in full’ – including regional news and programming. “The new owners must act on these promises and regulators must do their job by rigorously scrutinising the deal and protecting the public interest. The union will also continue to consult and support members to ensure their rights and terms are protected under the
new ownership.” Comcast will pay £1.2 billion in cash initially for ITV’s media and entertainment business, which includes its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and the ITVX streaming platform. It has agreed to pay a further £200m in the second half of 2028, depending on advertising revenues. Sky, which described the deal as a chance to create a ‘UK-focused national streaming champion’, hopes it will help it compete for viewers with US streaming platforms including
Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.
The deal will now face 12–18 months of regulatory scrutiny. If approved, it would mark the end of 70 years of ITV as an independent public service broadcaster. Sky said it had identified approximately £200m in ‘annual cost synergies’ that would be realised by the end of the third year after the agreement was finalised. It claimed that most cost cuts would be made through efficiencies in ‘marketing, technology platforms and non-UK content’. Dana Strong, Sky’s chief executive, told The Guardian that a ‘minority’ of the savings would come from job cuts and these would be where there was duplication, ‘primarily in corporate and commercial functions’.
PA plans city relocation
THE NUJ is involved in extensive consultations over the Press Association’s proposal to close its northern hub at Howden in Yorkshire and transfer operations to Leeds. The union’s PA chapel expressed concern about potential job losses caused
by the proposals, which will involve most of the 250 staff moving to a new office about 30 miles away. NUJ representatives believe there would be limited opportunity for staff to work from home.
In a statement, the PA chapel said: “For more than
20 years, PA staff have chosen to build careers and homes in the market town of Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Many have expressed deep sorrow at the prospect of leaving the area.”
The chapel said the proposal could put staff at
risk of redundancy if they chose not to relocate. Representatives have engaged in consultations with management to look at how the move might work in practice. They have also been supporting staff. Chris Morley, NUJ
northern and midlands senior organiser, said the plans to make jobs in page production redundant was
Pub celebration for two life members
THE South-West England branch of the union hosted a party in Swindon in July to celebrate the award of NUJ life membership to two long-standing members. Barry Leighton (pictured with branch chair Ray Tostevin)
and Paul Watson have clocked up 97 years of union membership between them, with a combined total of 34 of them spent on The Evening Advertiser, known as the Adver. Two dozen members from Wiltshire, Bristol and Somerset met at The King’s Arms in the old town, around the corner from the paper’s former home, to toast their colleagues, although Watson, who was unwell, was unable to attend. Leighton joined the Adver in 1976 after six years in London,
06 | theJournalist
where he first joined the union. He vividly recalled Swindon’s part in the national provincial newspaper strike of 1978–79. He was joined at the party by former Adver fathers of chapel Paul Wilenius and Bob Naylor, and they remembered the strike as a time when a true camaraderie between colleagues emerged. When former Adver sub-editor George Harris died in 2012, he left a legacy, the specific purpose of which was to finance a party for journalists in Swindon. Branch chair Ray Tostevin, who presented Barry with his life membership certificate, asked colleagues to raise a glass in memory of their benefactor.
“
We note that ‘all public service broadcasting commitments will continue in full’ – including regional news
Laura Davison NUJ general secretary
particularly difficult given the declining print market. However, he said extensive consultations were under way where the NUJ would be working hard to achieve the best possible outcomes. “It is essential that the company finds a way to retain and accommodate as many staff as possible,” he said.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25
