No Nine affiliate in regional WA after talks fall through

[Smacca]

15 hours after WIN switched their program supply to TEN and there's still no Nine affiliate for regional WA. West Digital Television, which previously broadcast TEN, ONE and ELEVEN, is now showing a scenic loop on all 3 channels like Southern Cross did back when VAST started. WDT is yet to sign a deal with Nine Entertainment Company and as a result didn't launch Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Go! at midnight as expected.

All three media parties say they are hopeful of an outcome, but behind the scenes fingers are pointing to Bruce Gordon’s WIN Television, which has had frosty dealings with Nine of late.

Just how long this game of brinkmanship over affiliate fees will last is anyone’s guess.

Source:

[Smacca]

The ACMA issued a warning today reminding WIN that while “the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA) does not require commercial television broadcasting licensees to broadcast at all times. However, commercial broadcasters do have to provide a service that ‘appeals to the general public’ and that “when considered together with other broadcasting services available in the licence area of the licence (including another service or services operated by the licensee), contributes to the provision of an adequate and comprehensive range of broadcasting services in that licence area”.

The authority also reminded WIN that it has Australian content obligations. WIN, which is owned by billionaire Bruce Gordon, also owns the content from Crawford Productions and could attempt to fulfil the obligation by broadcasting its Australian shows from the 1970s including The Sutherlands, Bluey and The Flying Doctors

Source:

[Smacca]

Ray Wardrop, managing director of Channel Nine Perth, said the station was extremely disappointed with the decision which will rob tens of thousands of people of a valuable TV scheduling option.

“Nine is disappointed that audiences in regional WA will be unable to receive our programming after the licence holders in that region, WIN and Prime, rejected all offers to find a reasonable negotiated agreement despite Nine concluding new program supply agreements for all other regional licence areas across the country,’’ Mr Wardrop said.

“Viewers can access our content by downloading the 9Now App to watch our programs live or on catch up.

“The only beneficiaries of this situation are Prime and WIN, who will now broadcast their signals in Regional WA with no real competition from West Digital Television (their joint venture and the holder of the third commercial television broadcasting licence in Regional WA). “This is at odds with the purpose of the licence which West Digital Television has been granted and a terrible disservice to their audience.

Source:

[slippery49]

yws a late deal reached in Tassie land for the 9 network,

You would think they would reach an agreement soon

[gordon_s1942]

There's just 2 reasons why this hasnt gone through and one is MONEY and the other is Personalities and I opt for MONEY as the prime reason because you dont have to like the people you do business with.
This wont set well with the Viewers and more importantly the Advertisers who can see them $$$$$$'s not being collected because their merchandise isnt being advertised on the programs that have high viewer interest.
While the Company isnt paying franchise fees you could say their saving money but its still costing them to keep everything up and running and that wouldnt be cheap to do.
Also when it comes time to negotiate with the Advertisers, I am sure they will remember this and 'punish' the 'Broadcaster' if they deem they have lost revenue by this failure to reach an agreement.

This is a good time for the ACMA to be standing on the side lines watching and subtly hinting that there is a need for the Channels to get serious otherwise other options available could be considered in the future regarding the requirements of a Broadcaster to obtain a license.

This program reshuffle hasnt just happened over night but has been in the pipeline for some time I would think which convinces me even more that its purely about Money now and in the future.

They (Braodcasters) could not have picked a better time with a Federal Election being held or viewers affected could be running the phones hot to their local Federal member but they havent got one, have they !!!!!!

[Guiseppe]

"WIN, which is owned by billionaire Bruce Gordon, also owns the content from Crawford Productions and could attempt to fulfil the obligation by broadcasting its Australian shows from the 1970s including The Sutherlands, Bluey and The Flying Doctors "

Probably explains why we are bombarded with commercials urging us to buy the series.

Sheesh, those programs were a load of ... when they were first screened let alone nearly 50 years on!

[Smacca]

There's just 2 reasons why this hasnt gone through and one is MONEY and the other is Personalities

Pretty much exactly why this happened. WIN, which owns 50% of West Digital Television, doesn't agree to the price Nine wants to supply programs for it. The only reason they don't agree is because of bad blood between them. Prime, the other half of the joint-venture, is just in it for the ride and probably can't do anything.

Result: No Nine now for 39 hours and counting...

[Smacca]

The latest:

Prime Media Group and WIN Corporation are in talks with alternative channel providers for regional Western Australia, after heated negotiations with the Nine Network reached a stalemate and the metropolitan broadcaster’s signal went ‘black’ in the area.

Prime and WIN operate the West Digital Television joint venture, which has been in talks with Nine about a program supply agreement but the parties failed to reach a deal by the June 30 cut-off date.

It is understood WDT has started negotiations with alternative content suppliers and is aiming to conclude an agreement this weekend as political pressure builds on all parties involved in the ‘black out’.

Metro free-to-air networks and subscription television group Foxtel, owned by The Australian’s publisher News Corporation and Telstra, have channels that are not currently broadcast in regional WA.

Source:

[B52]

It's all because WIN lost streaming case against Nine...



Channel 9 its streaming live.....>>

[gordon_s1942]

This exactly the same as 'Buying On Line' with every one (Company) wanting to do it it but not wanting any others to do so and compete against them !!!

I am not getting involved with the definition of the word 'Broadcasting' but it strikes a cord in my memory that this interpretation was used by the Cable TV companies (USA?) to get around the Laws governing 'Content' that applied to programing of FTA TV in the USA.
I remember reading this same interpretation then allowed programs like the Canadian based Naked News to be shown with full nudity of both Male and Females on Cable along with a slew of other programs that could NEVER be seen otherwise on FTA TV.
Here it was screened on the Comedy Channel a few years ago.

Whether Bruce Gordon actually wanted to win his action against NINE Entertainment or just wanted to spend a few dollars to annoy NINE Entertainment, who knows but currently its the viewers who the ones missing out presently.

[LeroyPatrol]

How can the ACMA allow this to happen? Not everyone has a good enough internet connection to stream if that's the alternative.

.......Leroy

[hos here]

Hi Guys,
Getting programming here. Ch 9 on 5 Ch ; Ch 10 on 8. EPG shows 'No Event'.

So someone has plugged it up.

Cheers
Hos Here

[efab]

yep something there so some one is thinking about us

[gordon_s1942]

How can the ACMA allow this to happen? Not everyone has a good enough internet connection to stream if that's the alternative.

.......Leroy

If I read some of the previous reports correctly, the ACMA is more than aware of the situation and has 'commented' on the situation as far as they can within their 'Brief'.
No doubt the Acts provide for 'Down Time' by a Channel without incurring any intervention by the ACMA provided the Channel is working in good faith to restoring a service as soon as possible and no doubt this is one of those 'Down Times', rather like the disclaimer the Telco's can use when they dont want to pay penalties for any service failures.

The ACMA is a Government department and it would be more than well aware of how far even the written legislation can be applied because they are dealing with Companies who have very deep pockets and have the 'Ear' of those who make up the Regulations the ACMA is to supervise so 'Rocking the Boat' might not be a wise thing to do without serious thought.

[hos here]

This may be of interest.


Cheers
Hos Here

[B52]

It's all because WIN lost streaming case against Nine...



Channel 9 its streaming live.....>>

Further to the above it is noted that Nine is FTA on D1...>>
Move the dish or install 2nd LNB..

[kclar]

Need at least a 1.2m to pick that signal up.

[gordon_s1942]

Further to the above it is noted that Nine is FTA on D1...>>
Move the dish or install 2nd LNB..

Great idea if you have most if not all the equipment already on hand but to lay out around $500 to obtain the signal is a bit of an overkill and there is no guarantee an agreement wont be reached before you even tune in the dish!!!

Moving the Dish is certainly a last resort choice because by doing so, unless everything else is there on D1, you've lost them.

[joshy12]

Need at least a 1.2m to pick that signal up.

Why such a big sat to pick it up?

[B52]

Easy Fix on 90cm...