After plans leaked online the regional network has confirmed plans to move to statewide bulletins in most areas
Hearing WIN News Queensland may become 1 statewide bulletin when the affiliation swap happens at the end of next month. @6NewsAU
— Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6) May 24, 2021
The news was first broken by 13-year-old journalist Leonardo Puglisi, who runs the 6 NEWS online news source.
Nine announced they would be closing their regional newsrooms when the new affiliation agreement starts on July 1.
Southern Cross Austereo has not announced any plans to air local news services.
It’s not known how many jobs will be lost as a result of the changes.
Shortly after Puglisi revealed the changes, WIN sent out this press release.
The WIN Network today announced it will move its weeknight WIN News bulletins to 5.30pm and commence statewide half hour news in Queensland, Victoria and in the western areas of Southern NSW from 1 July when WIN returns to being a Nine affiliate.
WIN News in Wollongong, Canberra and Tasmania will continue to be broadcast in its current format in the new timeslot of 5.30pm.
The new statewide bulletins will broadcast into the additional regions of Mackay, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland, Orange, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Griffith in New South Wales and Albury Wodonga in Victoria. The creation of these bulletins will see WIN employ additional local news gathering staff in these regions.
Starting July 1, the new program line-up will deliver 2 hours of news and current affairs every weeknight:
5.30pm WIN News
6pm National Nine News 7pm A Current Affair
This change also shifts Who Wants to be a Millionaire to a 4.30pm timeslot each weekday.
Speaking about the announcement, WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster said, “With this change, WIN News bulletins in Queensland, Victoria and western areas of Southern NSW will be State bulletins delivering the most important local stories from all of our regions across the respective states.”
“The move to State based bulletins in Queensland and Victoria will result in a reduction in news gathering staff in these regions as well as in the News production facility in Wollongong.
“As is always our priority, WIN will make every attempt to redeploy, second or retrain any impacted employees to suitable, alternative employment within the WIN Group.”
“We will be working through a process over the coming weeks to determine the resources, skills and experience required to continue to gather and tell local stories in the State bulletins.”
“WIN has always prided itself on delivering local news and whilst some of these changes are impactful, the statewide WIN News bulletins will be telling local stories across more regional communities with the most important stories of the day,” Mr Lancaster said.
WIN NEWS axes local bulletins for statewide editions - TV Blackbox
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