Australia’s largest regional TV broadcaster, WIN, will stop broadcasting Seven’s signal in Griffiths (NSW) and Mount Gambier (South Australia) after negotiations between the TV companies have broken down.
WIN pays Seven a fee to broadcast its signal in these regions, making its money back by selling local advertising.
That business model has come under strain in recent years, with WIN arguing that Seven had refused to renew a commercial agreement.
This means that WIN would switch off Seven from 1 July, but will continue to broadcast Nine and Network 10’s signal.
WIN chief executive Andrew Lancaster told the Australian Financial Review that the broadcaster remains committed to regional TV, even though it has previously switched off broadcasting Network Ten in Mildura and its surrounding areas.
Lancaster said that other “non-core broadcasting regions” in Western Australia and Tasmania could follow suit.
Seven said that it is still open to negotiations with WIN ahead of the 1 July deadline and that residents in those regions could still stream Seven content via its streaming app, 7Plus.