EXCLUSIVE | Channel 9 axes two news bulletins

Workers at two regional newsrooms were told tonight would be their last bulletin

The news was sad and surprising today for regional workers at Nine News in Queensland. Just hours ago staff were informed 9 News Mackay and Toowoomba have been axed and the last bulletins would air tonight.

It’s a change of fortunes for Nine who launched regional bulletins with fanfare in 2016. The investment in local news was one of the largest rollouts of news operations in Australia, in total more than 110 staff were set to be employed by Nine in the regional news division.

From Monday February 18 the Mackay audience will receive a hybrid regional bulletin featuring local weather, state and local news. Toowoomba viewers will now receive Nine’s South East Queensland bulletin.

Nine declined to comment but did provide the e-mail news Director Mike Dalton sent to staff, advising of the changes;

The changes to the Queensland regional newsrooms from seven to five is in alignment with the government broadcasting legislative requirements. Nine would like to reassure staff these changes in no way reflect upon employees’ efforts or professionalism over the past two years.

Nine people were impacted by the changes and half of them have already been redeployed. Nine has assured the remaining employees every effort will be taken to redeploy them.

*This story has been updated

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