Why’s that?
Too small a market to sustain local news. Same with Regional WA, but GWN7 still produces local news regardless.
3 Likes
Probably because there’s been no public inquiry. Imparja’s financial capabilities are in the negatives I understand. If no advertisers want to sponsor a local news or updates then it won’t happen.
2 Likes
A station does not have to produce a full bulletin. I just mean that imparja could do what WIN in northern NSW does, produce 2 minute noodle updates throughput the day? Imparja used to do that, but for some reason it was stopped. I’m just wondering if imparja is still required to put out 2 minute noodle updates or not?
2 Likes
As was said above, money.
1 Like
No. A Journalist/Presenter producing that update costs money (unless you want someone to do it for free) and is a position which isn’t neccessary.
Stations in Australia without a local news service (updates or news bulletins) are Imparja, WIN TV in Griffith, Mt Gambier, Riverland, WA, Mackay and Wide Bay. SCA Mackay and Toowoomba. Nine Digital WA, Ten Central and Ten Darwin. Prime7 Gold Coast and Shepparton have Weather updates only. None of these are forced to air any local content.
7 Likes
local news service
1 Like
Isn’t that station in WA, channel 9 digital as WIN WA airs ten network programming (off topic)
1 Like
Ah yeah. Bruce screwed WIN a bit. There’s no local news on Channel 9 Regional in WA. GWN is the only provider, which they could drop their local news tomorrow if they wanted to. They’re not legally obliged to air one.
1 Like
I think half the issue is Alice Springs is also no paradise (some people may disagree), so you would churn through Journalists pretty quickly, especially doubled with the low pay.
Local updates could return if they could find it economical and possibly produced from somewhere else (ie- Nine Brisbane).
3 Likes
The ACMA page on this explains things relatively well - https://www.acma.gov.au/local-tv-content-regional-areas
The Remote Central/Eastern license area is still excluded from the expanded markets where local content would be required after a ‘trigger event’ - there’s a description below:
The changes will also introduce obligations on commercial television broadcasters in smaller markets including Darwin, Mildura, Griffith and Broken Hill, as well as markets in South Australia and Western Australia, which are not currently subject to local content obligations. In these markets, broadcasters will be required to provide at least 360 points (minutes) of local content.
https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/television/media/updating-australias-media-laws
This still however excludes Imparja’s license area, so there’s no likelihood going forward that unless Imparja do so voluntarily, that they ever bring back local news.
4 Likes
That ACMA page needs updating big time especially as far as Northern NSW is concerned.
1 Like
Very much agreed.
Not necessarily. ABC currently deploys journos to Alice Springs for 6 months from Darwin however they do have some long-term staff. It’s an excellent training opportunity to be in Alice Springs as you get to travel remote and learn different styles of journalism not typically demonstrated in metro.
Imparja has no money and they will not spend anything as they use the business to fund aboriginal organisations linked to Imparja plus events. They consider themselves “non-for-profit”.
It’s really not that much compared to the bosses and stakeholders in these stations on massive salaries.
4 Likes
Totally agree but if you’re producing TV news updates for a commercial broadcaster who won’t spend a dime on even a cheap tripod, you don’t have time to go out and do on-the-road journalism. Pretty much your bulletins are going to contain media release content, maybe follow up on what the ABC is doing, rip content from local newspapers and whatever information the Weather Bureau has given you. It’s a position which in theory can be done from anywhere. You won’t win Walkley Awards by writing for news updates.
Imparja have successfully lobbied to not even put Closed Captioning on their main channel due to cost (which is a requirement of every free-to-air broadcaster across Australia). You have to wonder if Nine is taking 50% of their revenue as well when aligning with Ten would fit Central Australia’s demographics better.
4 Likes
Imparja was given a reduction on their closed captioning obligation on the primary channel from 100% down to 90% as they claimed they couldn’t afford to caption their local programming that is “12.5 hours per week, making up approximately 9.92 per cent”.
Referring to multiple repeats of home shopping programs as local content is stretching it.
From here:
https://www.acma.gov.au/publications/2019-11/compliance/68-imparja-television
https://www.acma.gov.au/final-exemption-orders-and-target-reduction-orders
7 Likes
Ah right. Thanks. Couldn’t remember the fine details. I do remember Imparja was quite receptive to Independent Programming which fit their audience rather than WIN, Prime etc who said nope using the whole ‘Independent stuff takes away the supply of a program which we have paid for through our affiliation agreements’.
4 Likes
What local programming??
4 Likes
They absolutely should not be getting away with infomercials as “local content”.
8 Likes