I reckon both will go for sure. Those regional relays get little local advertising and viewership, so what’s the point in keeping those transmitters/relays going when everyone is relying on alternative option or their metro channels from the capital cities?
Firstly regarding the Gold Coast, there’s already a 10 from Brisbane beaming into the GC and most people there tune to that station on Channel 10 as opposed to the NRN Northern NSW relay on Channel 5 so viewers will notice little difference should a service be switched off. Little incentive to keep the NRN Gold Coast relay going. And despite NRN now in the hands of Ten the news updates (despite having 10 News graphics now) still screams WIN, because here’s the thing, the weather graphics, the File Vision tag and even the presenters, all those things are coming from WIN News in Wollongong.
Secondly, the Central Coast relay of NRN is not even the Central Coast station at all, it’s just a direct copy and paste of Newcastle. The TV channel name says 10HD Newcastle, the news during the noodle updates is Newcastle (from WIN Wollongong), and even the local business advertising is Newcastle, so what’s there really in terms of local for the Central Coast on NRN 10? Most people watching 10 on the Central Coast do so via the Sydney station and not through the Newcastle one. Those seeking local news on the Central Coast do so via NBN News because that is their local option and it’s nightly, plus the advertising on Nine-NBN Central Coast is also tailored to the CC region because businesses are putting their ads on there.
So I’d safely say it now, both of them will eventually be shut down. Only because there is already metro muxes being beamed into these 2 regional hotspots.