Jobs at risk as ITN online content is dropped by ITV

In response to the ITV move, ITN On, the division that provides text and video content to websites, is to combine its separate text and video teams.

The five affected members of staff whose jobs are at risk by the merger are currently in a 30-day consultation period with the content provider.

An ITN spokesman said ITN was "reviewing its online operation" and is looking to fully integrate its text and video services. The spokesman said the integration of text and video was the next step in the evolution of ITN's newsroom and that ITN's video content was "a key growth driver for ITN's business".

Under the changes, ITV will link to the ITN website for home, world, showbiz, sports and business news from 22 July, rather than providing news directly on the ITV website.

The online deal is unrelated to the main ITV television news, for which ITN currently holds the contract until 2012.

It is understood ITV will launch a new online service in a few months' time, but it is not known what form that will take or whether ITN will be involved.