Scottish broadcaster STV has linked “strong” profit growth in the first half of 2019 to cost saving measures that saw a restructure of STV News and the closure of the loss-making STV2 channel last year.

STV’s financial results for the six months to the end of June this year, published today, show an adjusted profit before tax of £10.1m, up 7.4 per cent year-on-year from £9.4m.

Operating profit jumped from £1.4m over the first half of 2018 to £11m, including a growth of 7 per cent in the broadcast division to £9.7m.