GRIFFITH, New South Wales — WIN Television will stop carrying Network 10, 10 Drama and 10 Comedy in Griffith and two South Australian markets — the Riverland and Mount Gambier — after final broadcasts on Friday, October 9.
WIN said its short-term agreement with Paramount has ended and that both companies concluded continued delivery of the Network 10 services in the three markets is no longer viable. The temporary arrangement kept the channels on the air beyond an earlier June 30 shutdown date while the companies sought a longer-term solution.
WIN, which holds the commercial television licenses carrying the services in those markets, cited high transmission and infrastructure costs alongside the loss of audiences and advertising revenue to digital platforms. Network 10 programming will remain available through online streaming, but viewers will no longer receive the affected channels through rooftop antennas after the shutdown.
Earlier reporting estimated that roughly 90,000 people lived across the affected regions, but neither company has issued an updated estimate of how many households still rely on the terrestrial signals. It also remains unclear whether Australian regulators or governments could intervene before October 9, or whether another over-the-air distribution arrangement could emerge.
The cutoff is a significant reduction in free-to-air television choice for regional viewers, particularly households without reliable broadband or connected televisions.
Radio News Now question: Can policymakers and broadcasters develop a viable funding or distribution model that preserves universal free-to-air service in small regional markets where streaming is not a universal substitute?
Sources: WIN Television statement reported by The Daily Telegraph; WIN Television company overview.