WIN Network is cutting journalism jobs in regional Australia as it moves to statewide news bulletins across Queensland, Victoria and parts of southern NSW.
As part of the changes, which kick in when its affiliation with Nine begins on July 1, the broadcaster is also moving its weeknight WIN News bulletins to 5.30pm, which will be followed by National Nine News at 6pm, and then A Current Affair at 7pm.
The new half hour statewide bulletins will broadcast into the additional regions of Mackay, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland, Orange, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Griffith in NSW, and Albury Wodonga in Victoria. WIN says the creation of these bulletins will create new staff positions in these regions.
However, WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster confirmed the move to statewide bulletins in Queensland and Victoria will mean job losses.
The broadcaster hasn’t outlined how many job cuts will be made, but media reports say it could mean nearly 20 roles axed in Victoria.
“The move to state based bulletins in Queensland and Victoria will result in a reduction in news gathering staff in these regions as well as in the News production facility in Wollongong,” Lancaster says.
“As is always our priority, WIN will make every attempt to redeploy, second or retrain any impacted employees to suitable, alternative employment within the WIN Group.
“We will be working through a process over the coming weeks to determine the resources, skills and experience required to continue to gather and tell local stories in the state bulletins.
“WIN has always prided itself on delivering local news and whilst some of these changes are impactful, the statewide WIN News bulletins will be telling local stories across more regional communities with the most important stories of the day.”
The changes come after Nine and WIN announced a new regional TV affiliation agreement in March this year, replacing Nine’s deal with Southern Cross Austereo.
Last year WIN Corporation and Nine received just over $4 million each in funding from the government’s Public Interest News Gathering program.
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