WIN News axes five regional newsrooms across NSW and Qld
WIN News has axed five regional commercial TV newsrooms, informing staff in Orange, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Dubbo and Wide Bay (which covers Hervey Bay and Bundaberg) that they will not have jobs from next Friday.
WIN confirmed that the decision is “based on the commercial viability of funding news in these areas”.
“Changing content consumption habits and increased competition from digital content providers, that don’t face the same regulatory conditions that challenge traditional media, has led to a reduction in demand for local news bulletins in these regions,” WIN said in a statement.
“In our other markets nothing has changed. WIN remains committed to local news and content but in a regional media environment that has its challenges and faces increasing program supply and infrastructure costs, WIN needs to continue to review its operating model to ensure the ongoing success of the business.
“WIN’s priority in the short term will be working with the staff impacted to attempt to redeploy them into other roles in the network.”
WIN News Central West’s chief of staff, Annabelle Amos, revealed the news last night on Twitter, stating that “it’s a sad day for regional news”.
#BREAKING: Tonight, the camera operators, editors, and journalists from 4 WIN newsrooms were told that they wouldn’t have a job to return to from next Friday 28th. It’s a sad day for regional news, but we WILL push on and go out with a bang.
— Annabelle Amos (@annabelleamos) June 19, 2019
Reports state that between 30 and 45 camera operators, editors and journalists will be affected.
Orange-based reporter Alison Dance also took to Twitter, calling the news a “devastating blow” for regional Australia.
A devastating blow for Regional Australia, WIN News closing 4 regional newsrooms. Still working out my next steps but wherever they take me, it’ll be supporting our rural people #WINNews6pm pic.twitter.com/vSYNWFoHct
— Alison Dance (@alisonjdance) June 19, 2019
MEAA said the cuts signal a “crisis that demands government intervention”.
“In August last year WIN announced it would abandon its news bulletin in Tasmania. While some journalists and camera operators would be left on the ground, Tasmanian news would be presented from Wollongong and news bulletins would be cut completely on weekends. That decision cost nine jobs,” MEAA said in a statement.
“WIN also began taking a feed from Sky News – once again news that is not sourced locally.”
MEAA media director Katelin McInerney added that the decision is the latest in a “steady ongoing decline of journalism in regional Australia” and “public information needed by regional communities”.
“Fewer journalists on the ground, fewer local stories, fewer local voices causes immense harm to these communities,” she said.
“Homogenised news sourced from the big cities is not a replacement – it merely underlines how the community is being poorly served. It means a dangerous loss of scrutiny of regional issues including local politics.
“Reporting of local news is essential to regional communities.”
McInerney urged local MPs and community leaders to take a stand against the cuts, and the government to develop an action plan.
“MEAA calls on the Morrison Government to work with media stakeholders and local communities to urgently develop an action plan to arrest the loss of public interest journalism and to encourage and promote the development and growth of local news media,” she said.
The announcement is the latest in a string of restructures, sales, and redundancies for both regional and metropolitan newsrooms.
Most recently, in March, West Australian Newspapers called for voluntary redundancies as part of an “integration” of The Sunday Times, The West Australian, Perth Now and thewest.com.au, and has since announced a digital subscription and paywall model.
And in April, Antony Catalano bought Nine’s regional newspapers for around $115m.
I am very sorry to hear that local @WINNews_Alb team are losing their jobs – and that local news coverage will end. I have had great working relationships with these often young professional journos & camera crews in my time as mayor and political candidate – best wishes to all
— Jenny O'Connor (@JennyJenocon) June 19, 2019
WIN is Australia’s largest regional TV network, and an affiliate of CBS’ Network Ten.
Getting a local perspective in the news is such a positive thing. Disappointed for these areas.
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Disappointing when Australia has some of the most hollowed out, narrow and shallow media in the developed world, regional News has become roadkill in consolidation, cost cutting and influence. Regional news is often better quality than capital cities due to immediacy, knowledge and relevance of issues in communities.
And this from Media Week:
‘For the first time, more Australians can watch award-winning Sky News national affairs programming featuring the country’s leading commentators and political insiders including Paul Murray, David Speers, Andrew Bolt, Laura Jayes, Kieran Gilbert, Ashleigh Gillon, Peta Credlin and Alan Jones.
Sky News on WIN will give free-to-air viewers a taste of the premium Sky News offering available on Foxtel, with programs including Credlin, The Bolt Report, Outsiders, Jones & Co, Richo, Politics HQ, Paul Murray Live and Kenny on Sunday.’
https://www.mediaweek.com.au/sky-news-on-win/
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They couldn’t give a ? about regional areas.
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Business is booming in Boomtown I see. What a sad day for these markets.
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Why don’t they get rid of the highly paid execs at Nine who add no value rather than regional news who add a hell of a lot of value in those areas. They are suffering enough don’t you think?
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I think Bollocks is confused… WIN has nothing to do with NINE… WIN is the regional affiliate of TEN.
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Expect same from big 2.5 in a few days. FTA Broadcasting is dead. Networks had to go online to try to compete so now they can just sell the transmitters and land they sit on or cancel the contract with BA. You can see any show from any network on any smart TV now. Even live news at 6. The business model from the 60’s is now a fail and the owners know it. 7 and 9 outsourced pres to a Sydney company and they started ops this week. All promos and news clips now go via FTP so less need for expensive DVN2 circuits from Telstra. Winds of change have now arrived. aka smell the roses.
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“7 and 9 outsourced pres to a Sydney company and they started ops this week.”
The company is jointly owned by 7 and 9, and it didn’t just start operations this week.
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And Nine/SCA spends a lot of money on regional news – indeed their increased investment in recent years was no doubt a major factor in this decision by WIN.
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regardless of who owns it and when ops start, 30 or so people in Melb lost their job and a fraction of that get one in the “new” company. Can I add to the hit list the whole traffic department at 7 Qld (M’dore) ?
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Shame, shame, shame!
The Federal Government needs to review its decision to “gift” the commercial networks tens of millions of dollars in licence fees relief. The major networks have taken the money and instead of investing in quality local content have been slashing jobs and producing mediocre programs.
Seven and Nine return dividends to shareholders, whilst TEN ships profits overseas to media juggernaut, CBS.
Let’s get fairdinkum and take back the taxpayer handout and invest it in the newsrooms across regional Australia.
I hope new Communications Minister Paul Fletcher can see through the great tv con purported on Mitch Fifield.
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