I would not suggest sentimentality factors into the decision at all. It will be a business decision.
I’d also push back on your idea that the only thing that would keep NBN news jn its current form is a forced contract. Again, it will be a business decision based on economics. Not forced contracts or sentimentality.
I’m sure a 30 minute taped NBN News at 530 in the current format of WIN News would be cheaper. I’d also imagine it would rate a hell or a lot less than the massive Tipping Point at 5.30. That’s gonna cost. A 6pm Sydney bulletin would see viewers turn off in droves, and risks a huge ratings / revenue nose dive at 6. That flows onto all of prime time.
The money lost in revenue due to ratings erosion could well exceed the savings from moving to the win news format.
I’m Not saying it’s not possible. I’m saying it will be based on economics, not sentimental reasons and not contractual reasons. There are huge risks from moving the country’s highest rated (by share) local news bulletin out of its 6pm slot.
let’s hope it doesnt happen. In fact lets hope the NBN format is rolled out in some form across win Stations
At no point did I say NBN isnt viable, I am just stating that the Return On Investment may be better as NBN being an affiliate - getting affiliation fees for access to programming aa opposed to the costs of running the station.
If, as has been suggested, Nine believes National Nine News Sydney is a superior product, then of course they are going to change it. One possible sign that National Nine News being brought into the 6pm timeslot and bump locally produced news to 5:30pm is the redundancy of Gavin Morris, which one could argue is odd given he has featured across Today and other Nine produced news programs. Also Nine are looking to cut costs, which could be where, as you labelled it “mediaspy speculation “ comes from. The departure of Gavin Morris has probably instilled a sense of fear for the future at the Nine affiliate. Add in the departure of Paul Lobb in 2021, its probably a cause for concern.
I am not saying that the news in its current format will remain, but given that none of WIN’s other regions have a locally produced composite bulletin, its highly unlikely
At no point did I say NBN isnt viable, I am just stating that the Return On Investment may be better as NBN being an affiliate - getting affiliation fees for access to programming aa opposed to the costs of running the station.
A previous poster suggested NBN News is not viable. There has been nothing reported or any data shasred to suggest that.
There may be better return on selling NBN and having it an an affiliate, and there may not be. We don’t know. Nine sold NBN and NTD and radio stations to focus the business on digital and streaming. That’s what we do know.
“Of course they are going to change it” - you say. Not of course - we know nothing. I don’t know why you state things as certain. We know WIN has a certain cheap approach to news - and as I laid out above in my points - which you ignored all of them - there are reasons to believe WIN will move to s cheaper taped model at 530pm.
There are also reasons to believe they will keep the current model. So not “of course” at all. 6-7pm is the most lucrative / profitable hour on TV (aside perhaps from MAFS and grand finals) and moving local news out of that slot and moving Sydney news into that slot in Australia’s 4th largest TV market will be revenue suicide.
There are arguments for and against change.
Redundancy of roles give zero weight to any argument. There hsve been redundancy or roles min national, Sydney, Newcastle and Adelaide news presenters. It’s consistant across the company. Nine is selling NBN - any cost cutting or decisions will be made by WIN.
Again, there are arguments for snd against. It will be based on economics.
Is the cost benefit of a slimmed-down 5:30 news bulletin greater than the potential loss of ratings and revenue between 6 and 7pm? We don’t know the answer yet - and it’s possible WIN doesn’t either. Nine clearly did, which is why it maintained a live, local 6–7pm bulletin seven days a week.
Stating “of course” and “highly unlikely” is speculation and too early.
Thats what I’m trying to do. The facts are nine sold nbn to focus on digital / streaming. No announcements have been made and there has been no reporting on what will happen to NBN News. They are the facts.
Obviously it can fall off a bit in ratings since they stopped reporting, but for a random week (35) in 2024 (picked a Wednesday to compare what is a weekday average for regional)
Sunday (25/8)
5 City
Syd
Mel
Bri
Ade
Per
QLD
NNSW
SNSW
VIC
TAS
WA
Seven News
788,000
153,000
287,000
188,000
75,000
84,000
111,000
54,000
56,000
93,000
80,000
28,000
Nine News
805,000
286,000
239,000
186,000
50,000
45,000
70,000
153,000
70,000
78,000
*
*
Wed (28/8) / Weekday Regional
5 City
Syd
Mel
Bri
Ade
Per
QLD
NNSW
SNSW
VIC
TAS
WA
Seven News
808,000
188,000
235,000
145,000
105,000
134,000
111,000
68,000
70,000
78,000
60,000
28,000
Nine News
783,000
211,000
240,000
208,000
62,000
61,000
53,000
112,000
54,000
46,000
*
*
Yes, you can’t 1:1 regional TAM to the metro numbers, but even if these are off - NBN News rated near Perth and Adelaide combined, and comes close to Brisbane on Sunday.
I don’t think WIN are that dumb to mess with these sorts of numbers. They invested in Adelaide and Perth’s news operations while owning them, while their ratings were in the ballpark of these.
I think WIN should take NBN as a template for all their news operations - but even just letting it run as is, just doing the minimum to move the control room to Wollongong, and sharing reports into their WIN bulletins where NSW/QLD relevant.
Get rid of the metro relay, put local windows in and get rid of the metro-leaning stories. No one in Tamworth or Tumut gives a shit if some druggo breaks into a house in Mt Druitt and causes an international incident. That’s an everyday occurrence in Western Sydney that doesn’t need to be seen west of the Great Dividing Range.
WIN moved WIN News to 5:30pm across the regional markets screening local news, so i wouldnt discount it
If WIN were afforded access to National Nine News stories, then in NSW WIN could either use 7 Regional as a template and produce a half hour national bulletin with separate local news bulletins or produce a composite bulletin (which may be more complex).
Metro bulletins are more viable as their ad rates are 30% higher and are not each having to fill five different windows with “local” content.
And it’s not just this, it’s the live crosses and other pre-recorded content that Nine does only for NBN News now (like football previews). I have my doubts Nine will do this for WIN unless they pay extra for that. And I don’t think you can run a composite bulletin these days without that content.
When moved. Win news was not getting numbers even remotely close to what bnb news gets - and was a half hour contained local format. It makes it easier to move to 530 - economically and logistically
I have no data points, but it’s possible NBN News as a news operation costs less than say 9 News Adelaide. Lower salaries. Lower headcount. Less producers. Outsourced operations. Centralised producing. Skeleton social teams.
Those figures ahead shows NBN News reaches an audience 2-3x bigger than Perth and Adelaide. Yes ad rates in “metro” areas sell at a premium - you are right - let’s go with your 1.3x multiple.
Ads are sold C1000 that is a cost per 1000 viewers. Even at the 1.3 multiple NBN News is raising revenue up to 2.5 x more than Perth and Adelaide.
Combined with lower operating costs (I suspect) it’s a very lucrative operation. Which is why it’s sustained a live local 7 days a week format.
NBN would have 2 reporters in each of their 4 windows each night with probably 3 in Newcastle. So probably 11 staff there alone, Not even Sydney or Melbourne would have that many local reporters each night.
The Nine affiliation requires WIN to run the Nine schedule. Nine had to agree to WIN running its local news at 5.30 because they weren’t interested in it disrupting the national news/ACA combo from 6.
The above is precisely my point. WIN may feel its worth the risk, especially in Newcastle, where there are no other real local news competitor, and realising that none of the competitors will be willing to produce a local news bulletin. I personally think whatever happens in Newcastle will apply across northern NSW, and if WIN feels its not viable to continue a 7 day a week 1 hour format, they won’t.
Also the arrogance of the metros would see their product being superior to the alternatives.
I think best case scenario is the locally produced weekday bulletin will continue but weekends will see National Nine News at 6pm
Though my interpretation of the wording ‘Nine schedule’ is that WIN has to air the relevant Nine metro bulletin at 6pm, they can’t air their own composite bulletin in place of that (?). Which leaves 5.30 as the only option in that case.
I think you can account for that and still be in a very profitable range.
The risk on the downside is much higher, WIN News is a bad lead in for Nine News compared to Tipping Point, while a strong NBN news grows the national ratings as it codes as “Nine News”. I’d say WIN are only not at 7pm because it’d be even worse for that to be the lead in to prime time instead of aca.
WIN going to 5:30 instantly cedes to Seven the local news market everywhere they are at 6, and likely lose for good the goodwill of the NBN legacy, those viewers won’t come back if they change their habits now.
I just don’t think there are cost savings that make the risk worth it.
