STV2

STV2 was a British local television network in Scotland, operating five city-based TV licences serving Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Ayr. It was owned and operated by STV Group plc.

For the earlier "second channel" run by STV's parent company between 1999 and 2001, see S2 (TV channel). For the UK Channel 3 licensee in Glasgow and Edinburgh, see Scottish Television. For the Slovakian TV channel previously called STV2 from 1993–2004, see Dvojka.

STV2
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast areaAberdeen, Ayr, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow
HeadquartersPacific Quay, Glasgow
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerSTV Group plc
Sister channelsSTV
History
Launched23 April 2017 (2017-04-23)
ReplacedSTV Glasgow
STV Edinburgh
Closed1 July 2018 (2018-07-01)
Replaced byThat's TV Scotland
Former names"STV City"
Links
Websitestv.tv/stv2
Availability
(at time of closure)
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 8
Cable
Virgin MediaChannel 159
Satellite
SkyChannel 117
Streaming media
STV PlayerWatch live
.Catch up
(STV regions only)

Initially broadcast as two separate stations – STV Glasgow and STV Edinburgh – the launch of three local licences in Aberdeen, Dundee and Ayr led to the launch of a single networked service on 24 April 2017.[1][2] In May 2018, it was announced that STV2 would shut down at the end of June 2018 as part of a strategic review. It closed on 30 June 2018.[3]

Overview

In January 2013, the broadcast regulator Ofcom announced STV had been awarded two licences to broadcast local TV services in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas for a twelve-year period.[4] The broadcaster pledged to run the channels in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh Napier University respectively.[5]

Coinciding with a group-wide revamp, STV Glasgow began broadcasting at 6.30pm on Monday 2 June 2014, with the first edition of its flagship evening magazine programme, The Riverside Show.[6] STV Edinburgh followed at 7pm on Monday 12 January 2015, launching with the first edition of The Fountainbridge Show.

In March 2015, STV won three further local TV licences for the Aberdeen, Dundee and Ayr areas[7] under the working titles of Around Aberdeen, View from the Bridges and Ayrshire Today. No other bids were received for the three services.

The majority of STV2's programming was produced and broadcast from STV's headquarters at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. Unlike the main STV channel, where transmission originates in-house, playout and presentation were provided by Comux, the local TV multiplex operator, at its operations centre in Birmingham.[8]

Programming

The five local TV services under the STV2 banner carried a single schedule of networked programming.

STV News aired bespoke half-hour bulletins for STV2 at 1 pm and 10 pm alongside a simulcast of the Edinburgh edition of STV News at Six. The network's flagship news programme, STV News Tonight aired each weeknight at 7 pm and incorporated Scottish, UK and international news.[1] The half-hour programme, presented by Halla Mohieddeen, was produced in partnership with ITN.[9]

Non-news programmes for the channel included the early evening magazine Live at Five, Peter & Roughie's Football Show, Scottish Politics This Week, documentary series The People's History Show and chat shows including My Life in Ten Pictures and The Late Show with Ewen Cameron. Acquired programming included the Irish soap Fair City and Finnish drama Black Widows. Archive content included popular Scottish soap Take the High Road and crime drama Taggart.

List of programmes

Closure

STV announced in May 2018 that STV2 would close at the end of the following month due to low viewership and anticipated competition from the BBC Scotland channel set to launch in February 2019. The closure of STV2 resulted in the loss of 25 jobs with a further 34 cut in a reorganisation of STV's news output.[3] The channel's broadcasting licences were sold to That's Media, owners of the That's TV network of local television stations.[10] STV2 closed on 1 July 2018 after midnight, and its replacement, That's TV Scotland, launched on 15 October 2018.[11]

References
  1. "STV to launch integrated Scottish and international news show". STV News. STV. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  2. "STV announces launch date for new channel, STV2". STV Group plc. STV. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  3. "STV2 axed as broadcaster cuts 59 jobs". BBC News: Scotland. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  4. "Ofcom awards local TV licences in Scotland". Ofcom. 11 January 2013. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  5. "STV awarded local television licences for Glasgow and Edinburgh". STV. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  6. "STV announces Glasgow local TV launch date". a516digital. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  7. STV wins new local TV licences in Aberdeen, Dundee and Ayr, BBC News, 19 March 2015
  8. Ofcom’s local TV multiplex operator to be based at Innovation Birmingham Campus, Innovation Birmingham Campus, 14 May 2013
  9. "Anchor of flagship STV News Tonight show announced". STV News. STV. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  10. Glenday, John (16 May 2018). "Struggling STV 2 to be taken off air in online shift". The Drum. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. "Low key launch for new Scottish channel". a516digital. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
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