WIN Television is expected to cut a number of jobs in Ballarat.
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The station’s business operations in the city are currently being reviewed with a number of roles set to become redundant.
The local news bulletin is expected to be delivered from Wollongong from the end of February 2016.
It is understood that WIN may be set to move from its current Ballarat North location to a more modern and smaller newsroom still within the city.
The changes come during a tough time for local media after Fairfax Media, the publisher of The Courier, cut a number of roles earlier this year as part of a restructure.
WIN released a statement just before midday on Tuesday confirming there would be changes to production.
The statement confirmed newsreader Bruce Roberts would relocate to Wollongong as part of the process where he will present the Victorian bulletins.
"Some roles will be affected by the move and our first priority will be to ensure that anyone in those affected roles has an opportunity to be redeployed," WIN Network chief executive Andrew Lancaster said.
“If WIN is to continue to provide a local voice to regional communities via our 17 daily news bulletins, then we need to find more efficient ways to deliver that news.
“In this case it means utilising existing facilities.”
Ballarat MP Catherine King said she was aware that changes were planned for WIN.
“I am disappointed to hear that the local news service will no longer be read from our home town,” she said.
“I have sought assurances from the CEO that there will be no drop in local content and I have been given those assurances.
“I asked for assurances around staffing and he is yet to completely give those.
“I understand there may be some redundancies but I hope his assurances that there will still be a chief of staff, camera crews and more journalists in this area are absolutely honoured because our stories deserve to be told and they deserve to be told from our local community.”
Buninyong MP Geoff Howard said he was concerned by the reports of a potential relocation.
“Our region is well served through the hard work of reporters who each and every day bring us important local stories on television, radio and in print,” he said.
“Coming off the back of recent cuts at Fairfax, the local impact of these cuts would be compounded with any further loss of jobs for journalists and production staff at WIN Television.
“I hope these reports are incorrect and WIN’s Ballarat newsroom will continue providing the quality local stories that give our community a voice.”
Wendouree MP Sharon Knight echoed these comments.
“Our local WIN station has been a part of Ballarat for decades and any cut to local news coverage would be bad for our city,” she said.
“The staff at WIN tell Ballarat’s stories and are a part of our community.
“Every job in Ballarat is important and I urge WIN management to reconsider plans to cut staff in Ballarat.”
