I can’t see WIN doing that in those markets or expand WIN News to northern NSW. WIN is more likely to abolish local news bulletins with the first bulletins to go will be Wide Bay, Riverina, Central West and possibly Albury.
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Newcastle and NNSW would be by far the largest market WIN serve six they buy NRN.
If they are producing 15 local news bulletins, some in markets with 2 competitors it would not make sense to not have one in the largest most lucrative market they broadcast to.
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Well if WIN is planning to expand local news to northern NSW which I think is unlikely, the Newcastle and possibly central coast area would be nominated for any expansion of local news. Unlikely to happen under the current situation.
Exactly, and Seven is also very dominant in the Regional QLD News market, with WIN also struggling.
Once Nine come in with their new bulletin, WINs viewers will dwindle away to nearly zero in my opinion.
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[quote=“MVP, post:1415, topic:214, full:true”]
The BIG competition of Regional News will be in Queensland in every region except for Mackay they will have THREE news services WIN, Seven and Nine
[/quote]As will be the case in Wagga Wagga, Central West NSW and Albury.
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Then WIN will have no choice but to review the wide Bay news bulletin as soon as the nine news regional bulletin starts there. I very much doubt that the wide Bay Area has the population to support all 3 local bulletins. However I admitted I was told by my dad that Hervey Bay is a busier area where tourists and retirees go for holiday or to live. But that itself won’t stop WIN from reviewing whether to continue with the news bulletins or not.
I think WIN will have no choice but to review the future of their bulletins in all but the most populated broadcast areas, especially if the new regional editions of Nine News are successful.
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It’s bound to happen sooner or later. The bulletin WIN would most likely be keeping would be is Wollongong, Canberra, most of the Queensland bulletins and most of the Victorian bulletins. The most likely areas to lose the WIN local news bulletins would be Albury, Riverina, wide Bay and central west in the next round of cuts to the news bulletins.
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I think we might see some improvement from WIN in this field - with the appointment of a new National News Director, paired with a new National Programming Manager, it appears that they are going to put a bit of effort in.
In regards to axing or starting news bulletins, it will be interesting to see what they do. So far they have only axed bulletins in areas where they are not required to produce news (SA, Mildura and Mackay). I know Mildura and Mackey don’t get noodle updates - do SA?
I think they would want start bulletins in NNSW, but It could be difficult, especially with NBN being such a powerhouse in Newcastle, and Prime the same in New England. How does NBN News rate outside of Newcastle? Without the heritage on NBN in other areas, it might be viable to have 3 bulletins on the North Coast.
I’d also back them in Newcastle, even with the heritage on NBN, it’s such a large sub-market that and competition would be good. So long as they go in with realistic expectations and don’t expect to beat NBN from the start, there should be enough advertising dollars to make it viable, epxecially if some of their smaller areas are still viable.
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Yes they do but as you mentioned they are not required to do so
It is a <2 minute update aired sometime around 6pm weeknights on WIN Seven, WIN Nine and WIN, generally in the first ad break of each network’s 6pm news bulletin, or Family Feud in the case of WIN. That being said, and I may be wrong, but I think it is only produced in the first place to begin with because other local media outlet/s are providing the news to WIN. This is the only local news offered in these regions unlike Southern Cross GTS/BKN in other parts of the state who have their half an hour bulletin on SCTV
Prior to that, WIN SA had a combined local news bulletin that was produced in Adelaide and ended a few months before WIN sold NWS to Nine back in 2013, and prior to that the Riverland and Mount Gambier both had their own 30 minute bulletin
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Hopefully if WIN end up going the SCA/Nine and NBN way - composite bulletins - then keeping local news in all broadcast areas will remain viable.
If it’s cheaper and more efficient to do - you know WIN will be looking at it.
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I don’t think WIN will have much chance with a weak TEN affilitation.
I think over time, WIN will drop more than just those 4, but yes, they could be among the first to go.
WIN will probably cut them in stages as to not draw too much attention to it eg. from the ACMA.
I think within 2 years, only Wollongong, Ballarat and Shepparton bulletins may survive.
Canberra already has an ABC bulletin, and Prime7 is rumoured to be re-entering into the local news fray there too (in addition to 9).
QLD will be the biggest loser for WIN since both 7 and 9 will have Local Bulletins in all markets.
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mate if the top rating Prime 7 can’t even be bothered to get a Newcastle bulletin going to give Nine a run for its money, then Ten/WIN most certainly can’t … and if you look at the regional ratings, not many people here actually watch Ten at all.
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If history is any guide regional tv networks who air nine network programs are much more likely to commence local news bulletins than those who show Ten network programs.
Why would a regional network like WIN want to invest in news bulletins in new areas like northern NSW when they are showing less popular Ten network programs? SCA didn’t do that except introduce 2 minute news updates when it was airing ten network programs.
Since WIN had closed news bulletins in Mackay, Mildura, WA and SA, it’s more likely to continue closing bulletins in other areas than introducing new ones in new areas.
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Largely because WIN have their head up their own arse - they think their product is superior and successful. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done something that others would consider to be commercially stupid.
Being owned privately they are only answerable to Bruce, who wants to be a powerful media mogul and doesn’t particularly care about the cost provided he doesn’t lose money. If it breaks even he is happy. As opposed to public companies like SCA (and even private companies with astute investors) who need to get a far higher return on every dollar they spend. Basically it means that WIN need to generate a lot less dollars to make it viable than what other networks would want.
In short, would I do it? Probably not. Will WIN do it? Maybe.
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None of us know the true return on investment. So we are all speculating. But NRN is the lowest rated Ten station or affiliate in the country - and if they go in with the completely new and unknown and irrelevant brand of WIN - they are going to want to do something strategic to connect with the audience and grow the ratings
A local news presence would
Help no end.
Do we know if Ten runs its news services at a profit or not?
WIN has hinted it doesn’t make money off news but has not said they lose hand over fist either.
Again we are all speculating. But there are valid reasons to invest in a local news. There are also valid reasons not to
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Exactly. And it’s so hard to quantify what a news service generates. It’s not just the advertising dollars at that time - and they’d still get some of that if they showed something else anyway.
A news service brings viewers who are paying attention and will see promos for other shows, and I turn watch them (same with other high rating shows). It also connects the station to the community. Particularly in regional areas, news travels if someone is going to be in a news report, and people will tune in. It creates an active workforce that aren’t just selling advertising and will be seen going about their job around town. It makes the network look like it cares about the community, and that is a major draw card for getting advertising dollars in regional areas where a lot of advertising is from local small businesses. A good news service could therefore bring in more money even during off peak times where rating numbers haven’t even changed.
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Prime7 tops NBN from Port Macquarie upwards due to Prime7 News
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As @DJPizarro says, Prime7 News is #1 on the North Coast and North West, but NBN News is #1 overall since the Newcastle / Hunter region has by far the most viewers and is dominant there.
Gold and Central Coasts have little influence on Nth NSW figures since viewers there still largely watch the metropolitan stations.
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