NEWS Page

STV Gets New M.D.
Forty-year-old Bobby Hain - previously Business Development Manager at SMG -
has pledged to increase output across the ITV network.  He succeeds Sandy Ross, who will take up an new post as Head of International Development for SMG Television
The new M.D. is a radio man, starting out as a D.J. in 1981 at NorthSound. 
He took charge of Radio Clyde before becoming director at Virgin Radio, and
he launched Beat106 before coming into television.

The AGM on 27 October 2003 (The Secretary's Report)
Firstly the Secretary asked that the meeting record a vote of thanks to Archie MacArthur and Walter Hayward for their work over the years for the Asssociaton. 
The Committee has met on 8 occasions in the past year.

We have a note of 288 STV pensioners; membership of our Association last year was 169. So far this year 116 have rejoined and 79 had booked for lunch.

The Secretary thanked all those who booked so promptly.

This year's trip on the Waverley was a wash-out - literally! The only wet Friday of the summer and we had to choose it for our trip ' doon the watter'. However that won't deter some of us from repeating the exercse in 2004.

Membership
The following persons shall be eligible for membership of the Association:

• Active members of any scheme or schemes providing retirement, death or similar benefits in respect of service with Scottish Television plc or any company associated with it

• Members who, although no longer active members of any such scheme, remain entitled to deferred or contingent benefits

• Persons in respect of a pension from any such scheme but would not have yet joined

• Any person who is the spouse or dependant of any person who was/is/is eligible to be a member of the Association.

Admission to and regulation of membership shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee.

Pensions Merger Approved

Scottish and Grampian Pension schemes have merged.  The trustees of both schemes agreed unanimously to the plan.   The new scheme will be called the Scottish and Grampian Television Retirement Benefits Scheme.   The merger is expected around mid-December but full details will be supplied nearer the time.

A spokesman for SMG said benefits would not be affected by the merger.

Help!

Is there anyone out there willing to organise a golf competition? We
are also looking for someone to do the same in the world of bowls. STVPA
will supply the trophies and possibly help out with costs.

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Profits Down

Revenues at Scottish and Grampian Television were down 5% to £54
million. Operating profits were also down 28% to £6.2 million. Finance
director George Watt blamed the fall partly on the downturn in advertising.

Obituary

The following members have died since October 2000:
Archie McArthur (Director) 
Bill Lynch (OB Driver)
Jim Miller (Electrician)
A Kirkwood
C. Johnstone
M. A. Clemence
H. Laing
Jimmy McPhail
A E Grant
Eric Wilkie
Isabel Williamson
Harry Gowrie
Charlie O'Hara