Regional Nine bulletins, cut in the wake of COVID-19, will return to the airwaves from Monday 10th August in an amended format.
Nine advises that the statewide bulletins recorded no detrimental shift in ratings and to protect the metro bulletins and brand, it will shift the regional bulletins to a 5:30pm start, thus keeping Nine’s metropolitan bulletin at 6pm.
Queensland will be serviced by local bulletins in Wide Bay, Capricornia, Far North Queensland, North Queensland and the Sunshine Coast.
Southern New South Wales will have local bulletins for Canberra, Illawarra, Central West and Wagga.
Victoria will be serviced by bulletins in Border North East, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland.
Each local bulletin at 5.30pm will retain a local presenter, 2 x 1.30-minute packages and 2 x voiceovers per bulletin from each of the submarkets within each market.
Daily news updates will also be produced in support of the regional news supplementing the daily bulletins.
A Nine spokesperson advises –
“Changes like this are never easy and I am conscious of the impact this restructure will have on individual people. However, the unprecedented advertising and economic downturn has prompted a review of the functional effectiveness while ensuring our bulletins remain commercially sustainable.“
It appears around a dozen jobs will be impacted, but Nine, where possible will pursue alternate opportunities across the network.
With the help of the government’s recent regional funding Nine have been able to avoid larger cuts that otherwise might have occurred, given the impact of COVID on regional advertising.
