Staff at media company SMG are being consulted over voluntary redundancies as the firm looks at cutting employee numbers.

SMG, which changed its name from Scottish Media Group last year publishes three newspapers – The Herald, the Sunday Herald and the Evening Times – all circulating in Scotland.

It employs 1,700 staff overall, with around 800 of those in the newspapers and magazines division.

The company hinted at job cuts in its interim statement last month but denies that all staff are being offered voluntary redundancy.

Spokesman Callum Spreng said: “Back in September at the time of our interim results, we announced a head count across the group as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

“As the first stage in that review we have talked to all staff and given them the opportunity to inquire about or volunteer for redundancy.”

He said before any redundancies were made the operational needs of the business and of the products, as well as the individual’s role would be considered.

“There are no target numbers: this is the first part of the process,” he said.

“It goes across the whole group and this includes publishing.”

But he said the group expected to be well placed when the economy speeded up and was building a £35m press hall near Glasgow, very much “an investment for the future”.

SMG’s range of magazines is made up of eleven titles including niche publications for specific industries and consumer interests.

The television division includes Scottish TV, Grampian, SMG TV Productions, Ginger Television and GMTV. It also owns Virgin Radio and a cinema advertising company.

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