ITV is facing strike action after saying that 1,000 staff must be made redundant because of a severe downturn in advertising.

The cuts represent nearly one in five of the broadcaster’s workforce, and will be felt most sharply in its English regional news operations, where 430 jobs out of 1,075 will be lost.

ITV refused to rule out compulsory redundancies to achieve the regional news savings, a decision that set it on collision course with unions. Luke Crawley, assistant general secretary of the broadcast union BECTU, said: “In defending our members we cannot rule out the possibility of industrial action.”

Laura Davison, assistant broadcasting officer of the National Union of Journalists, said: “We do not accept the level of cuts ITV News wants to make and it is difficult to see how we can avoid a fight over this.”

The redundancies come a week after ITV won permission from the broadcast regulator Ofcom to reduce its regional services. Hardest hit are Plymouth, Bristol, Carlisle and Gateshead, where about 90 jobs will go.

ITV is eliminating its West Country and Border regions and merging them with neighbouring operations. It insists, however, that the savings, worth £75 million a year, will allow it to protect its £1 billion programmes budget. Another 400 jobs will go in Manchester, Leeds and London, and more cuts will come from business disposals.

ITV advertising fell by a fifth last month and is expected to be 5 per cent lower this year than last.

Times Recommends

• Lies and cover-up at MG Rover exposed by report
• High oil prices push manufacturing costs up
• Primark founder steps down as chief executive