Nine, WIN and Prime reach deal in regional WA allowing station to go back on-air
After almost two days of dead air in regional Western Australia, Nine has reached a deal with WIN and Prime to broadcast its channels Nine, GEM and GO.
The parties are understood to have reached a breakthrough late last night after a high stakes game of brinkmanship saw WIN resort to broadcasting images of regional Australia on Friday and Saturday after the parties failed to reach agreement before the June 30 deadline.
WIN surprising tactic of taking a station off-air drew the ire of media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) who was forced to step in and remind them of their obligation to broadcast content that “appeals to the general public”.
reporting that Communications minister Mitch Fifield weighed into the matter
Late last night the parties issued a short statement confirming: “West Digital Television has entered into an agreement with the Nine Entertainment Company to broadcast Nine, GEM and GO programming to regional Western Australia.
The statement also noted that the dead air in Western Australia would end immediately. “The broadcast of all three signals will resume across regional Western Australia effective immediately,” said the statement.
Western Australia was the final regional market that needed to negotiated amid a major switchover and comes after Nine and WIN negotiated agreements in other regional markets such as Mildura and Griffith.
The negotiations are part of a major realignment which has see Southern Cross Austereo sign an affiliate deal with Nine and WIN with Ten.
2016 has see the long term relationship between Nine and WIN deteriorate after the regional broadcaster took Nine to court over live streaming.
WIN ultimately lost that court case with the Nine and WIN’s relationship subsequently deteriorating to such a point the two parted ways on their affiliate arrangements. This ultimately led to a complete redrawing of regional TV’s borders and Nine and SCA signing an affiliate deal in April, with WIN and Ten subsequently signing their own deal.
However WIN has blanked the EPGs on both 9 and 10 main and multi channels. What’s the rationale behind that other than to deter people from consuming the product.
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I live in Albany, and what I want to know is why haven’t we got back 9Life, just loved that channel. And when are we going to get some programming back on the TV so know what is on.
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meanwhile??
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Me too. When are we going to get this great channel back in Geraldton. My day is not the same now its gone.
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