Regional television news coverage has taken another body blow with news the WIN corporation will shut four newsrooms across NSW and Queensland.
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Staff at multiple WIN television newsrooms were pulled into meetings late on Wednesday and told their offices would be shut down on June 28, sources close to the broadcaster said.
Present and former WIN staff took to twitter to confirm the news that NSW newsrooms in Orange, Wagga, Albury and Queensland's Hervey Bay would close next week.
The impact on Victorian newsrooms, including Ballarat, is not yet known but the company issued a statement saying in other markets nothing had changed, it remained committed to local news while its first priority was the redeployment of staff.
"The decision to cease production of the Bulletins was based on the commercial viability of funding news in these areas," the statement read. "Changing content consumption habits and increased competition from digital content providers, that don't face the same regulatory conditions that challenge traditional media, has led to a reduction in demand for local news bulletins in these regions."
The closures will affect 35 to 40 staff in the newsrooms slated to close, including casuals, across the local television news services.
The closures will affect 35 to 40 staff in the newsrooms slated to close, including casuals, across the local television news services.
WIN Central West journalist Alison Dance was among those who took to social media following the announcement.
"A devastating blow for regional Australia, WIN News closing four regional newsrooms," she posted to Twitter.
While her colleague in the Central West, Annabelle Amos said it a sad day for regional news.
"The camera operators, editors, and journalists from four WIN newsrooms were told that they wouldn't have a job to return to from next Friday 28th," she posted to Twitter.
"It's a sad day for regional news, but we WILL push on and go out with a bang."
Since 2016, WIN has transferred its Ballarat broadcast including anchorman Bruce Roberts, to its Wollongong office.
WIN has maintained its Walker Street operations in Ballarat despite speculation in 2017 it would utilise the valuable land and shift to another site in the city.
The corporation made an application in 2017 to move the telecommunications tower from the centre of the property to the south east corner, potentially paving the way for the future sale of the 2.1-hectare block.
"The regional television landscape is changing within Australia and WIN TV is currently reviewing its locational operations options"WIN TV will remain a presence within Ballarat, however one option may be to re-locate the operations to another site within Ballarat," WIN's application read at the time.
WIN TV also moved its Tasmanian news bulletin to its Wollongong offices last year, cutting its staff from 18 to nine.
The network has suffered some major cutbacks as part of industry contraction in recent years, including wide scale newsroom cuts in 2013 and the closure of its South Australian news operation.
WIN TV is Australia's largest regional network, the affiliate of CBS-owned Network Ten and broadcasts in 29 markets across the country.