“NBN News on Channel Nine on the WIN Network!!”
Clear as mud?!
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Finally caught up on all this - was at a conference all day.
One hell of a shit show - here’s my gauge on the whole thing…
- WIN proving it has a task harder than Sisyphus rolling a heavy boulder up a hill to convince the people of the Hunter and Northern NSW that it’s going to do a good job and managing to fuck up every bit of PR so far.
- Nine demonstrating it’s a -BLEEP- of a channel and a -BLEEP- of a company.
- Local pollies coming in very late to the party, especially the federal ones, trying to get WIN to reverse its track, when they knew full well what was likely to happen. Also the fact that they could have put in legislation to prevent this from happening.
- Southern Cross in Newcastle proving just how tactless it is when they had every opportunity when it owned the Ten affiliate to do local news and didn’t, and now it’s part of a shit show that owns the Seven O&O and won’t do local news…
- Now would be a good time for a federal inquiry into the provision of regional news services given the “wonderful” job the Howard government did the last time they intervened after Prime and Southern Cross cut local news.
- AI slop sucks.
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Like you said earlier, probably too late for all of that now.
I think the only way regional TV news will improve is through government incentives. To force networks to do it off their own bat will just accelerate the decline of regional TV.
Well something has to be done. These companies have had plenty of handouts and beneficial legislation and we’ve gotten nothing. I think it’s about time they took some responsibility - both the networks and the pollies who allow this shit to happen. Again - pollies are the media’s little bitch, who won’t grow some balls and tell them to do their job properly.
I’m all for the networks to be made to do the right thing or have every single license removed. I’ll find a way to play the Last Post when TCN, WIN and NBN get taken off the air because NEC and WIN were being jackarses.
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Good to see they are investing in a control room for NBN.
I can see why. Something we have neglected is that the current single “live” NBN bulletin includes pre-recorded reports for 5 unique regions.
With WINs model, they are moving it in-line with their other bulletins - 5 new separate NBN bulletins (ASSUMING) (Newcastle/Central Coast/Mid North Coast/Tamworth/Far North Coast).
Expect to see the first segment fully localised to each region, the second segment including stories from the other surrounding regions (which I believe the current NBN bulletin sometimes does?), then sport/weather.
This is how they’re spinning ‘more local content’.
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So is every WIN local bulletin across Australia broadcast at 5.30pm?
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Yes
And no local WIN bulletins on weekends?
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I can see the first 1.5 segments in Newcastle being truly local, probably just 1 for other markets, based on what WIN are saying.
At least initially, but for how long they maintain that for will probably depend on ratings. If it doesn’t rate, they’ll probably let content slide somewhat, the NBN News branding to then disappear and then it gets moved to Wollongong and becomes WIN News.
None
Long overdue for a changed graphic package. It’s been years since it last was changed.
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We don’t need new legislation - just don’t have the same politicians condemn WIN for this decision, then vote for a spectrum tax freeze.
Don’t just freeze taxes without getting anything back, make them earn it as refundable against local content spending.
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100%
For what it’s worth Rob McKnight sort of has..
In a statement, WIN Network Chief Executive Andrew Lancaster said:
“The changes to our weeknight bulletins are designed to deliver more local content, more local stories and a stronger connection to the communities we serve across Northern New South Wales”.
Get your hand off it, Andrew.
Don’t feed us spin and expect us to swallow it. You’re doing it because you have to.
Make the case that you can’t keep going if we stick to this model. You need to make these changes to make sure that the people of Newcastle can have local news into the long term, which is something WIN does believe in. I know that.
Just don’t feed us this crap that you’re delivering more local news.
You’re not.
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Just as a prime example of WIN’s ‘local content’, in tonight’s Illawarra bulletin, I think it was the 5th story - last of the 1st segment anyway - was a story about ‘updated international criteria for the diagnosis of IBS’ (irritable bowel syndrome). Now in a composite bulletin such as NBN’s current one, or any of the capital city hour long bulletins, it might have merit, but in a program WIN passes off as local news it’s absolute rubbish. I can’t bring myself to check out the rest of the bulletin right now after that. 
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More news, yes.
More relevant news - probably not
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You can compare this somewhat to the Gold Coast market where Nine has Tipping Point at 4.30 leading into 5.30pm local GC news then the Statewide QLD news at 6pm. By all reports it is a ratings powerhouse showing it is possible for this to work if done properly. Probably the biggest thing in its favour is that WIN/NBN will have a local news monopoly, so anyone wanting to watch local TV news reports won’t have a choice.
These regional like bulletins will all dissolve eventually, I’m generally surprised that in 2026 some have lasted this long. Costs will only be getting tighter and some Management team in the future will target these regional bulletins to the saving of xx millions.
New control room, digital expansion flagged
The spokesperson went on to tell Mediaweek that the construction of a new control room at the NBN Studios in Newcastle would begin shortly, meaning the bulletin would be produced locally rather than from Brisbane.
The network said it was also exploring opportunities to expand news content to digital platforms.
NBN News will continue to be presented from Newcastle, with journalists and camera operators based across Northern NSW and the Gold Coast – including Newcastle, Central Coast, Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, and Tamworth.
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