Very different scenarios.
Seven Regional is O&O and also has a much greater audience and densely-populated coverage than what SCA has in the remote central and eastern market where smaller audience numbers are scattered over a much wider geographic area. It’s not a “fail” if SCA has weighed up and identified that it is not sustainable to add more channels than the market can support.
You will find there are restrictions on the number of services that are available on VAST. The Fed Govt only funds for a certain amount of bandwidth on VAST. That is why the eastern states VAST services there are only 1 HD and 4 SD (2 north/2 south) services per operator. To add more services will require additional satellite bandwidth, which is largely subsidised by the Fed Govt. And on top of that, the multi-channels mostly run at a loss with no doubt the CDT JV overall runs at a loss. Imparja argued as much in previous Govt inquiry submissions and have canvassed dropping multi-channels. But as long as the Fed Govt mostly funds VAST distribution they will most likely stay for now. Without the VAST subsidy, IMP, QQQ and CDT would have shut down long ago. So to your question, that will be a no to any further multi-channels being added to VAST. WA VAST is a different story, but again, is mostly Fed Govt subsidised too.
I think there is a bit of flexibility as to how the RCE stations use their bandwidth. If there was a business case to, let’s say, swap one of the 7two splits for 7flix, they probably could.
How long do we think the future is likely to be for VAST? With satellite internet now with Starlink making things available everywhere. Is it possible that the government would instead be subsidising those meeting requirements to get an internet connection and using the existing streaming services from the channels. That could end up cheaper for the networks without needing to get their streams on the satellite - potentially there could be a box that does it all like the Hubbl and I think was mentioned in the Freeview thread was under development which would take either the antenna feed or the streaming feed.
This would also solve the problem of channels missing but can also mean that TV remains “free” for those who meet the requirements that are created to be eligible just as they need to already for the VAST services.
Starlink very expensive way to watch FTA TV as opposed to free VAST. But yes, over time there is logic to this, even for metro viewers when the FTA networks finally switch off their FTA transmitters and go on-line streaming only.
I could see it outlasting Terrestrial TV, but I could also see it going within a few years before most terrestrial services. The services that underpin VAST have to live on the razors edge of financial sustainability.
The thing that might save it is that it was designed to be the service of last resort, removing that safety net will make it incredibly difficult for a lot of the users of VAST to access television.
(As an aside, I worry about putting our faith in high-speed internet via Starlink)
54 WA was shut down on 25/02/2025. No more WIN Scenic Loop™ 
Who would actually sit down to watch that good riddens.
That should’ve just been a channel dedicated to local advertising.
now what am i supposed to watch when i holiday in regional WA? 
WDT currently is a joint venture of WIN and Seven West Media. If WIN decides to pull the pin on the JV, can SWM afford to run the operation alone?
I think Paramount ANZ should be really worried about losing access to hundreds of thousands of viewers in an area as big as Western Australia. It needs to have a plan B in place.
One less network on FTA means more eyes on Seven which means more ad dollars. I doubt Seven sees a problem with this.
They mutually pulled the pin with WIN in Mildura, I’d be surprised if they acted differently in any other market.
It’s the same owners as Ten Mildura, the difference is most likely it’s on VAST which probably has extra government funding involved.
Yep - after MDV got closed down, the Federal Government gave WIN and Seven some extra funding for WDT
With the ep from 2022, makes me wonder why sponsorship of The Living Room was not national, with the Digital stations needing either their own sponsors or to replace it with other promos. That proves the point of Boomtown, particularly a business like Woolworths could take advantage of advertising nationally, not just metro (with maybe aggregated Ten regionals as well).
There are limits on how much advertising can be broadcast each hour.