STV currently provides two entirely separate news services – one for the central belt and the other for the northern half of Scotland.
The northern service is the last legacy of Grampian TV, which provided a range of local programmes for the area until the 2000s.
It was bought by STV’s parent company in the late 1990s.
Later it was renamed and dedicated programmes for the north other than the news were dropped.
TV regulator Ofcom is currently consulting on proposed changes to the news service. The scheme would mean:
STV has emphasised that it will still have news teams in Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness.
The bulletins and parts of the 18:00 programme, which would be shown across both central and northern Scotland, would include stories of national interest.
When the plans were first announced in September, they were condemned by the leaders of all the main political parties at Holyrood.
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and some councils are also opposed.
