THE ''new kids on the box'' yesterday strengthened their grip on power

at Scottish Television by removing the station's 53-year-old sports

editor as a precursor to big changes in its sports coverage.

The dismissal of Mr Ron Marshall follows the departure two months ago

of Mr David Scott, also 53, who, according to a Scottish Television

insider, was offered a six-figure pay-off -- a ''deal he could not

refuse''.

The latest change is believed to have been forced through by Mr Blair

Jenkins, head of regional broadcasting and the man who took Mr Scott's

job, and Mr Scott Ferguson, editor of news and current affairs.

Dubbed ''the new kids on the box'', both are young men in a hurry. Mr

Jenkins, a first-class honours graduate in English literature from

Edinburgh University, and Mr Ferguson, the brother of comedian Craig,

are in their 30s and both, ironically, are former BBC employees.

The STV insider said: ''Ron Marshall's sacking is part of a bigger

shake-up. Jenkins and Ferguson are cutting a swathe through STV on the

back of a successful year where they launched two new daily news

programmes, both of which have achieved unprecedented figures of more

than 50% of viewers.''

A spokesman for the station said: ''The reason for Mr Marshall's

departure is that news and current affairs are being merged with sport.

Sport will therefore come under Scott Ferguson's umbrella, making Mr

Marshall's position redundant.''

It is understood that Mr Gerry McNee, the Scotsport match commentator

and analyst, will now have a decisive say in sporting matters, although

he will not hold the title of sports editor. Mr McNee, who contributes

to a Sunday newspaper, was a regular on Radio Clyde sports programmes

before moving to Scottish.

As part of the sporting shake-up, Scotsport Extra Time will be moved

from its Friday night slot to Saturday lunchtime, where it will go head

to head with the BBC's Football Focus. The programme will go out at

12.30pm, from January 8, effectively filling the slot left vacant by the

demise of the Saint and Greavsie programme.

The spokesman said: ''Scotsport Extra Time gets about 300,000 viewers

on a Friday night, which is quite a respectable audience. However, we

would hope to get a bigger rating on a Saturday. Football Focus is very

English orientated. It does give Scottish coverage but not much. I think

we will capitalise on this because of the high profile given to Scottish

football in Scotsport Extra Time.''

However, the STV insider said the company was being disingenuous with

the gloss it was putting on the move. He said: ''The show used to

attract 500,000 viewers but that has taken a battering recently from

BBC1 movies and fallen to the 300,000 quoted by the company. That is one

of the main reasons it is being switched.''

The STV spokesman denied rumours sweeping Cowcaddens that the shake-up

would also see the amiable, if anodyne, Mr Gordon McQueen, and fellow

presenter Ken McRobb dropped from Scotsport.

According to the rumour factory, they are set to be replaced by

ex-footballer Gordon Smith, who is known in the industry by the

soubriquet Smith Must Score after missing a sitter for Brighton in the

FA Cup Final. Mr Smith, a former Rangers player, works for Radio

Scotland's Sportsound programme on Saturday and is seen as having all

the credentials to make an ideal television frontman.

However, the STV spokesman said: ''There is no truth whatsoever in

these rumours about Gordon and Ken.''

Mr Marshall had been with STV for 12 years and was responsible for the

introduction of Scotsport Extra Time. He was not available for comment

yesterday.