I don’t agree with the local content bit here …
I think Local news on TV is VERY important to regional Australians.
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Yes! Turn GOLD into something useful, like the idents would have you believe.
In NNSW at least, WIN could also form a partnership with community TV VOD service Hunter TV to give them some airtime, since none of the networks seem to care about CTV programs. Something similar could be done in QLD with Q Online TV.
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I think so too. But do you think the average viewer knows how much local content they get compared other areas?
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They wouldn’t know, but if they knew they were being diddled, like us folk in Newcastle and surrounding areas, I think they would care.
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The first RegionalTAM ratings since WIN launched in Northern NSW (for the week of 3-9 September) can now be seen here.
Let’s just say that WIN had a very poor start in Northern NSW, being its 2nd weakest market after Tasmania, in terms of both main channel & network shares. In network shares, WIN’s best performing market was Regional QLD, followed by Southern NSW/ACT, whilst its positions are reversed in main channel shares. In fact, Southern NSW/ACT was the only market where WIN’s main channel hit double-digits for that week.
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Good to see the SC9 main channel rating so closely to the 7QLD main channel.
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It appears legacy still plays a big part in regional ratings
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It is difficult to say what will happen with WIN given it lost its challenge against US Network CBS and TEN administrators KordMentha. Back in 2007, when Bruce Gordon was in dispute with the PBL-owned, Nine Network, Mr Gordon threatened to independently program WIN through his links with Paramount Pictures Corporation. One has to wonder whether he will now proceed down that track if he cannot convince creditors to look at his proposal or whether Mr Gordon will swallow his pride and get on with operating his regional network.
Given the changes to media laws, it is still possible that Mr Gordon could try and snatch control of Channel 9. Although a more expensive option in the long term, he could do with the help of the people like Lachlan Murdoch.
However, if he was successful going down that path, Mr Gordon would have to wait until 2021 before he could merge the two networks due to the licencing agreement that Nine Entertainment Company has with SCA. As the television stations tell us, STAY TUNED!!!
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Since WIN has purchased NRTV and Nine already broadcasts NBN to that area, doesn’t that mean in short that Gordon cannot increase his ownership of Nine (without selling NRTV or NBN) even with the changes to media ownership laws - you can’t own two TV stations in one market.
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Obviously, he would probably try and sell NRTV, unless he was able to increase profitability of the struggling Ten affiliate. In the short term, if purchasing a controlling stake in NEC was an option, he would have to first block any attempt by SCA and NEC to merge.
However, this option would assume that Ten would remain rating third (and subsequently WIN). Given that CBS is the number 1 US Network, this may be a game changer for Mr Gordon and the WIN Network.
Until CBS and Mr Gordon unleash their strategies we can only suggest what may happen.
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Well CBS could own WIN eventually with the laws floodgate open now.
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That’s true, especially if when Bruce Gordon passes away, if his family does with WIN what James Packer and co did with Nine (and PBL) after Kerry Packer passed away
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Correct.
But who to? Aside from the joint ventures in Darwin and Central Australia, and Southern Cross in SA, WIN is the only regional broadcasters of Ten. Southern Cross have already shown they don’t want the NRN licence. Unless a new player were to come in (which is highly unlikely), Ten/CBS would be the only party that could possibly be interested in the licence - but surely they’d want more than just the NNSW licence if they were going to expand into regional markets - more like the whole of the Eastern States at a minimum.
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Would CBS care about buying WIN? In the US they have their national network, and own broadcasters in many cities, but seem quite happy with affiliates in other cities. Those affiliates then give distinct local feels to those areas.
It’s interesting that CBS has a joint venture (in the US) with one of it’s biggest affiliates, for a multichannel. CBS themselves had owned 1/3 of TEN’s Channel 11, so something along that line, if WIN has an interest.
Similarly CBS might opt to split their efforts into “CBS” channel and a “TEN” channel, basically with standard CBS content on the first, and Australian content on the second. WIN might ask for a bigger voice in the Australian channel.
We just don’t know what CBS will do, but they’ll be thinking through the options.
(edit: If they buy Ten)
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Well it is hard to say, but NBN was owned by SP Telemedia until 2007 when PBL purchased NBN. The price paid was $250 million by PBL, $80 million above the estimated $170 million at the time and $90 million above Bruce Gordon’s offer for NBN Television.
If CBS was to turn Ten’s fortunes around and boost it to either second or first in the ratings, then an affiliation agreement with TEN would be gold, but again, it may come down to Bruce Gordon’s pride versus what may be in his best interests. But that said WIN may be swallowed up by CBS in years to come, once Bruce Gordon passes away.
CBS is the number one network in the US, and is the home of shows such as Big Bang Theory and daytime soaps Bold and Beautiful and Young and the Restless
As my above NBN television example showed, CBS may be willing to pay a premium for WIN in the same way PBL paid a premium for NBN TV.
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If CBS were to turn Ten around, they’d be better off to hit Bruce for higher affiliation fees than hand him a premium price for an asset he’s done nothing to improve the value of.
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And if Bruce didn’t want to pay higher affiliation fees, it may end up that he carries through with his 2007 threat of seeking to have paramount pictures supply the bulk of his programing
I hope that’s unlikely now…
Doesn’t Viacom (Paramount Pictures’ parent company) have content licensing agreement with Stan & Nine?
Also, CBS & Viacom have some sort of shared licensing arrangement for Star Trek.
I could see CBS buying out WIN, but that would only be if they were causing them too much grief and they were sick of having the lawyers on speed dial. It might just be cheaper to offer Bruce enough money to see him sail off in the distance and then CBS could have full control over the country.