Regional television in Australia
In Australia, regional television is the local television services outside of the five main Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth).
History
1960s
Australia's first regional television station was launched three-and-a-half years after the rollout of television had commenced in metropolitan
.Television continued to expand in
1962 station openings
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1963 station opening
- 7 September: RTQ-7 Rockhampton
1964 station openings
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1965 station openings
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1966 station openings
1967 station opening
- 10 March: BTW-3 Bunbury
1968 station openings
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Many of the first stations produced their own local programming, supplemented by content from the capital city stations such as GTV-9 Melbourne's In Melbourne Tonight. GLV-10 Traralgon was amongst the first to make use of live 'off-air' relays of programmes from metropolitan stations without the use of video recording equipment.
1970s
Similar to their metropolitan counterparts, various stations began to form programming and operational partnerships in order to reduce operating costs and share the cost of imported programming.
Television 6-8-9 (later Mid State Television) |
Television Centre of Victoria (TCV) (later TV8, then Southern Cross TV8 and then Southern Cross Network)
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RVN-AMV (later The Prime Network) |
Northern Rivers–Gold Coast Television (later Northern Rivers Television)
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A partnership between NRN-11 Coffs Harbour and ECN-8 Taree was split up when NRN joined RTN-8 in 1971. ECN later went into partnership with NEN-9 Tamworth.
All television stations in Australia, including regional stations, were required to convert to colour transmission in 1975.
1980s
Stations continued to form various partnerships and networks throughout the 1980s.
North Queensland Television (later QTV)
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SIX Network Victoria (later Television Victoria)
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TV8 (later Southern Cross TV8 and then Southern Cross Network) |
TasTV
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Golden West Network (later GWN7, now Seven Regional WA)
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Throughout the 1980s, a number of regional stations were required to move to different frequencies. These included GLV-10 in Gippsland, who moved to channel 8 in order to allow ATV-0 Melbourne to move to channel 10 in 1980. DDQ-10 and TVQ-0 switched channels to become DDQ-0 and TVQ-10, and SEQ10 became SEQ55 in 1988.
The last regional station to launch before aggregation launched unofficially on 2 January 1988 – IMP-9, Imparja Television in Alice Springs, began transmission via the AUSSAT satellites, as well as a number of terrestrial transmitters.
Aggregation
The Hawke government of the 1980s introduced a system of regional equalisation, known as aggregation, which would provide regional viewers with the same viewing choice as their metropolitan counterparts.
Local stations protested at this proposal, arguing that their profits would fall, and that local output would also decrease. They offered their own proposal, whereby the existing operator would be allowed to operate relays of the other two networks, allowing a combination of both viewer choice and local programming. If NBN were to take the Nine affiliation, for example, their two relays would offer programs from the Seven and Ten networks, direct from Sydney.[citation needed] This proposal was, however, rejected.
The new system would allow stations to transmit into neighbouring markets, as an affiliate of one of the three metropolitan networks. For instance, before aggregation, there were three separate licence areas in northern
Soon after realising they had lost their battle with the government, the stations began to organise affiliations with metro networks. Stations that hadn't joined forces beforehand began to merge and form new networks:
Vision TV (later Star Television)
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Prime Television (later Prime7, now Seven Regional)
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Sunshine Television Network (callsign STQ)
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Southern New South Wales was the first area to be formed, in two phases (as a result of problems in Orange and Wagga), starting on 31 March 1989.
The next area to be aggregated was Queensland, which took place on 31 December 1990. QTV was to become a Nine affiliate, Star Television a Network Ten affiliate, and the Sunshine Television Network a Seven affiliate. However, in the week before aggregation was due to take place, WIN Television bought Star Television and gave them the Nine affiliation – meaning that QTV was forced to change its affiliation to Network Ten.
The next year, northern New South Wales was aggregated.
Aggregation in
Remote and Central Australia was the final area to be aggregated – one of the largest geographical licence areas, taking in parts of the
A number of areas were not aggregated, due to their small size and relative inability to support more than one commercial station – these included Griffith, Mildura, Darwin and regional Western Australia.
1990s
Throughout the 1990s, a number of changes relating to local programming and identity began to take place – the first of which was to occur for
WIN Corporation, meanwhile, bought VIC TV from ENT Ltd. in October 1994, and folded the station to the larger WIN Television network, maintaining the affiliation with Nine.
A second commercial licence was made available for single-licence areas such as Mildura, Griffith, and Darwin. Incumbent stations were permitted to apply for the new licence under Section 73 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, however only if the Australian Broadcasting Authority, at the time, felt that there was no other operator who would be interested or able to operate a new station in the area. The ABA initially denied all three stations the ability to operate the new licences.[1][2]
A joint complaint to the
When the auction process ended in late 1996, however, Prime was awarded the Mildura licence for $3.2 million, and commenced broadcasting with the callsign
In the same year,[5] an amendment was made to the Broadcasting Services Act affirming the ability of existing broadcasters in one and two commercial station markets to apply for "supplementary licences". These new licences allowed either a single incumbent or group of incumbents working together to run an additional channel.
In the then-single station markets, applying existing broadcasters gained both analog and digital licences for a new channel. In two station markets, the two existing broadcasters were allowed to form joint ventures to later bid for digital-only licences following the introduction of digital terrestrial television in Australia in 2001. The new licences were known as section 38A and 38B licences, respectively, after the relevant sections in the Broadcasting Services Act. Remote Central and Eastern Australia remains the only licence area without one of these stations either proposed or currently available.
The name "Section 38A" refers to the applicable section of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 which grants such rights to solus operators.[6]
Using its Section 38A licence, MTN-9 was able to begin their supplementary service in 1997 using the callsign
2000s
In 2000[
The solus operators in the regional licence areas of South Australia have been granted an 38A licence, being allocated on 24 April 2002.
- Network Tenprogramming.
- RTS-5A, was granted callsigns LRS and MGS, branded as WIN Ten, carrying Ten Network programming.
In more recent years, the premise has been extended to allow for two station markets where there are two different owners to apply, either separately or jointly, to operate a digital-only third station. These are known as "Section 38B" licences,[8] and were created by the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Digital Television and Datacasting) Act 2000.[9]
Section 38B allows current operators to apply for the additional licence either as a
The axing of local news services by
In December 2003, the first digital-only commercial television station was launched,
During April 2007, SP Telemedia announced that it would consider selling NBN Television, and had received at least two bids, one each from WIN (in its second attempt of entering the northern NSW market) and Nine Network's owner PBL Media.[10] On 9 May 2007, PBL Media's $250 million bid became final, winning the sale.[11] However, upon acquiring NBN, PBL continued to operate it as a regional independent station until it was folded into the Nine Network on 1 July 2016 as a result of the regional affiliation switch between WIN Corporation and Southern Cross Austereo. The purchase also secured permanent status of supplying Nine's content to the station's entire coverage area, sparing any future affiliation switches.
2010s
After Nine launched its new online catch-up video on demand and live streaming service 9Now on 27 January 2016, WIN filed a lawsuit against Nine, claiming that live streaming into regional areas breaches their affiliation agreement.[12][13] Justice Hammerschlag of the NSW Supreme Court dismissed the case on 28 April 2016, citing that "live streaming is not broadcasting within the meaning of the PSA (program supply agreement), and that Nine is under no express or implied obligation not to do it."[14][15]
Following WIN's defeat in the 9Now lawsuit, Nine announced it had signed a new $500 million affiliation deal with Network Ten affiliate
In late January 2017, it was announced that Southern Cross had entered into negotiations with WIN Corporation, owners of regional Ten-affiliate WIN Television, over the sale of NRN in exchange for WIN's Wollongong radio station i98FM.[26][27] This deal would have expanded WIN's television coverage across all regional markets in the eastern states and granted Southern Cross radio coverage in Wollongong. Southern Cross later withdrew from negotiations on 20 February 2017 with no explanation given.[28][29] However, WIN and Southern Cross later finalised an agreement where they would sell NRN to WIN for a total of $55 million,[30][31][32] with the sale taking effect on 31 May 2017.[33][34] WIN, which had its third attempt for a NNSW outlet successful since 1991, maintained the station as Ten Northern NSW until playout and transmission were transferred to Mediahub on 1 September 2017, at which point the station adopted the WIN branding. Channel numbers were reshuffled to align with WIN's other stations; but as Nine owned NBN Television holds the 8 numbered digital channels, NRN's channels remained on the 5 numbered channels.
2020s–present
On 12 March 2021, Nine announced that it would return to WIN Television as its regional affiliate in most markets beginning 1 July 2021, in a deal that would last at least seven years. This would include WIN paying half of its regional advertising revenue to Nine Entertainment Co., and providing advertising time for Nine's properties on WIN's radio and television outlets. WIN would also provide advertising sales services for Nine's owned-and-operated stations
Alongside the affiliation switch on 1 July 2021, WIN as a sole network brand was retired after 32 years with its stations carrying Nine metro branding with WIN branding used for local idents, sponsor billboards and community noticeboards respectively. However WIN News is retained under its current name and format. With WIN and SCA using network branding from Nine and Network 10 respectively, it left Prime7 as the only regional network not fully using its metro affiliate branding – a distinction maintained until June 2022.
According to the channel changes, Nine's channel listing was reshuffled with 9Gem on channel 81, 9Go! on channel 82 and 9Life on channel 83, while Ten’s listing was reshuffled with 10 Peach on channel 52, 10 Bold on channel 53, 10 Shake on channel 54, SBN on channel 55 and Sky News Regional on channel 56.
On 1 November 2021, Seven West Media announced that it would acquire all the shares and subsidiaries of Prime Media. Prior to this, Seven's previous attempt in 2019 was blocked by shareholders Antony Catalano, co-owner of Australian Community Media, and Bruce Gordon, owner of competitor WIN Corporation. Both felt that Seven's offer of $60 million for the company was too low. Seven announced at the time that local news production would continue.[36] The majority of Prime's shareholders voted in favour of the deal on 23 December,[37] and the takeover was completed on 31 December.[38]
In 2022, Prime7 and GWN7 as sole network brands were retired after 11 years as reflection to Seven Network's takeover. The transition to Seven's branding was done in stages: its regional network was rebranded as Seven by June; local idents, sponsor billboards and community noticeboards adopted the Seven network branding around July; while its regional news division carried the Seven News brand on 25 July, but retaining its current operations pre-acquisition.
Broadcasting
Three station markets
The majority of these licence areas are on the more densely populated east coast, in which three commercial stations are each affiliated to the
Northern New South Wales
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Southern New South Wales & ACT
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Regional
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Regional Queensland
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Areas with supplementary licences
These licence areas are not as heavily populated as the main markets listed above. Consequently, only two broadcasters operate in these areas, with a jointly owned supplementary service that provides the services of the remaining network. These supplementary services are italicised. ABC Television and SBS Television services are also available regardless, throughout these areas.
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Regional and Remote Western Australia
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Remote Eastern and Central Australia
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Monopoly areas
Similarly to the jointly owned supplementary services provided in the above markets, in markets where only one broadcaster operates, the broadcaster would provide two regular network services, with the remaining network provided as a supplementary service.
Griffith/MIA, New South Wales
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South Eastern South Australia and the Riverland |
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Programming
Each commercial network (both regional and metropolitan) can be seen as being composed of three layers, with some exceptions. The first is the "national feed" – content that is broadcast to the entire country, more-or-less at the same time (accounting for time zones and minor rescheduling). This category is composed of nearly all the non-news programs and sometimes station promotions and branding.
The second is the "state feed", content that is broadcast to the entire state or territory. It comprises mainly state news, as well as current affairs programs and station promotions. This is usually the case in
. The third is the "local feed", content broadcast to a specific market, such as local news and advertising.Original programming
In order to fulfil regulations put in place by the
Up until its co-branding with Channel Seven, both Prime and GWN produced their own versions of The Saturday Club. Prime also produced country music show A Little Bit of Country as well as an agricultural news program, On the Land. After those shows no longer aired, Prime7 and GWN7 showed just Seven Network programming before it was merged with the Seven Network.
Imparja Television also produce various local indigenous programs, as well as Yamba's Playtime, a daily show for pre-school children. Most Imparja-produced programming is also shown on National Indigenous Television.
News
- WIN Television produces three half-hour statewide and three local WIN News bulletins for regional markets, airing at 5:30pm on weeknights. Until 2021, the network also produced WIN’s All Australian News, composed of stories from WIN's regional bulletins. In four markets, short news updates are broadcast throughout the day, generally to fulfill local content quotas.
- NBNproduces an hour-long news service, NBN News, containing local, national and international news, sport and weather for its entire coverage area, airing nightly at 6:00pm. NBN News is considered as the only mainland regional station to produce a one-hour news bulletin 365 days a year. As part of the nightly bulletin, the station produces local opt-outs for each of its six sub-regions.
- GWN7 Newsfor regional WA). In other areas, Seven produces short updates to fulfill quota requirements.
- Seven Queensland produces half-hour bulletins in each of its seven coverage areas (Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Central Queensland, Darling Downs, Wide Bay–Burnett and the Sunshine Coast).
- The Brisbane stations of Nine and Seven both produce half-hour bulletins for the Gold Coastat 5:30pm, airing as an opt-out on the respective station's Gold Coast transmitters.
- Seven (SCA) in Tasmania produces Nightly News, a nightly hour-long bulletin incorporating local, national & international news. SCA also used to produce a 30-minute local bulletin on weeknights for the Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill area of South Australia, until it was axed in 2023.[40]
- For the remote central and eastern Australia licence area, Seven Central and Imparja Televisionboth air short news updates each weekday.
- 10 (SCA) airs short local news updates in Queensland, Southern New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Darwin each weekday during the networks daytime and prime time programming across SCA's fourteen markets.
In most cases, newsroom staff including reporters, camera crews and producers are based in newsrooms within the coverage area though the news program itself may be presented and broadcast from studios outside the region. For example, news staff for Seven's Mackay bulletin is based in the city with the program presented from studios in Maroochydore.
Scheduling
The majority of programming in regional areas is shown at the same time as its metropolitan counterpart, with some exceptions, mainly for local news programs. Prior to the 2016 media shakeup, A Current Affair was shown at 7.30pm rather than 7.00pm in most WIN regions via then-HD multichannel 9Gem (GEM prior to 2015) (Tasmania and markets without a WIN News bulletin received the programme in its original timeslot on the main channel). NBN had aired the program on delay at 7pm until the expansion of Nine's metropolitan local bulletins in January 2014, allowing the station to air ACA at the same time as in Sydney.
Seven Regional (then known as Prime7) had aired Seven News on delay at 6.30pm in markets that receive full local bulletins at 6.00pm until the major expansion of Seven's metropolitan local bulletins in February 2014, allowing the stations to extend both the regional bulletins at the same time as in Sydney and Melbourne. In its current format, full bulletin markets served by stations CBN and NEN receive a combined newshour composed of the usual local news bulletin at 6:00pm, followed by a live statewide bulletin named Seven News at 6.30, covering national stories shown on Seven News in metropolitan markets; AMV transmitters in the Albury and NSW/Victoria border areas receive a delayed shortened first segment of Seven News Melbourne at 6.30pm after the local news, then switches back to the live Melbourne feed for sport and weather.
In the last ten years of the original 27 year affiliation agreement with Nine, WIN Television launched a range of original programs such as fishing program
Prior to the development of digital television broadcasting, many dual-network affiliates, such as WIN SA broadcast a mix of programming from three networks at differing times of the week, WIN WA and Imparja, broadcast a mix of programming from two networks at differing times of the week. Prior to the co-branding with Seven, Prime and GWN choose to replace nearly all Seven Network programs between midnight and 6am with infomercials, along with 10 Regional (the former Southern Cross Ten), which also replaced some morning programs and until late 2009 Judge Judy with infomercials.
Prior to 2016, NBN opted to air classic programs (The Sullivans), its own Today Extra program until 2007 and infomercials in place of Nine's Morning News.
As of April 2023[update], local news, special events coverage and paid programming (infomercials) are the only occurrences of regional TV programming in Australia.
See also
References
- ^ "New Mildura/Sunraysia commercial TV licence to be auctioned" (Press release). Australian Broadcasting Authority. 3 November 1995. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2006.
- ^ "Application by MTN for second TV service in Griffith/MIA area" (Press release). Australian Broadcasting Authority. 3 October 1995. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2006.
- ^ "Win-Tv Mildura Pty Ltd ("Mildura"), Mtn-Tv Pty Ltd ("Griffith") and Territory Tv Pty Ltd ("Darwin") and Australian Broadcasting Authority and Imparja [1996] AATA 220 (1 July 1996)". Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 1 July 1996. Retrieved 26 September 2023 – via Australasian Legal Information Institute.
- ^ "New Commercial TV licences for Darwin and Mildura" (Press release). Australian Broadcasting Authority. 29 October 1996. Archived from the original on 20 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2006.
- ^ "ABA allocates new commercial TV licence for Griffith" (Press release). Australian Broadcasting Authority. 18 July 1996. Archived from the original on 20 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2006.
- ^ Broadcasting Services Act 1992: Sect 38A Additional commercial television licences in single markets. Retrieved from AustLII on 11 September 2007.
- ^ "Section 38A of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 – Allocation of additional commercial television licences in single markets". Australian Communications and Media Authority. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ Broadcasting Services Act 1992: Sect 38B Additional commercial television licences in 2-station markets. Retrieved from AustLII on 11 September 2007.
- ^ Broadcasting Services Amendment (Digital Television and Datacasting) Act 2000. Retrieved from AustLII on 11 September 2007.
- ^ "WIN, PBL pursuing Newcastle Channel 9". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 April 2007. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
- ^ "SP Telemedia seals sale of NBN to PBL". The Age. 10 May 2005. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ Christensen, Nic (10 February 2016). "WIN takes Nine to court to try and block its live streaming service 9Now in regional areas". Mumbrella. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ McDonald, Philippa (28 April 2016). "Regional broadcaster WIN loses bid to stop Channel Nine streaming programs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ Knox, David (28 April 2016). "Nine victory in 9NOW streaming lawsuit filed by WIN TV". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ White, Dominic (29 April 2016). "Nine and Southern Cross in multi-year affiliation deal". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Jake (29 April 2016). "Nine win shows media law absurdity: WIN chief Andrew Lancaster". The Australian. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Jake; Davidson, Darren (2 May 2016). "Nine, Ten to swap affiliate partners". The Australian. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ^ "TEN And WIN Network Announce New Program Supply Agreement" (PDF). Ten Network Holdings. 23 May 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Jake (23 May 2016). "Bruce Gordon's WIN confirms affiliate deal with Ten Network". The Australian. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Jake (29 June 2016). "Nine signs affiliate deals with WIN". The Australian. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ Jones, Erin (29 June 2016). "Nine Network television programs to remain on air in the Riverland and South-East". The Advertiser. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- ^ Benuik, David (18 June 2016). "Tasmania could go from Channel 9 to Channel Nein as network yet to sign deal to broadcast in state". Sunday Tasmanian. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Knox, David (3 July 2016). "Nine reaches regional WA agreement with WIN / Prime". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ Debelle, Penny (18 June 2016). "Nine and WIN-TV shows might be axed from screens in the Riverland and South-East". The Advertiser. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Davidson, Darren (31 January 2017). "WIN in talks to buy northern NSW TV station". The Australian. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ "Asset swap! SCA & WIN trading regional TV for cash, FM licence". Mediaweek. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ Bingemann, Mitchell (20 February 2017). "Southern Cross pulls plug on regional deal talks with WIN". The Australian. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ Ward, Miranda (20 February 2017). "Southern Cross Media withdraws from discussions with WIN over assets media deal". Mumbrella. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ Burrowes, Tim (28 March 2017). "SCA sells northern NSW television assets to WIN for $55m". Mumbrella. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ Bingemann, Mitchell (28 March 2017). "Southern Cross Media sells northern NSW TV operations to WIN". The Australian. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ Mason, Max (28 March 2017). "Southern Cross to sell northern NSW TV business to WIN". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ "Southern Cross Austereo: Agreement of Sale of NNSW TV Operations and Trading Update" (PDF). Australian Securities Exchange. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ Knox, David (20 May 2017). "WIN completes deal for Southern Cross Northern NSW". TV Tonight. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ Mediaweek (11 March 2021). "Nine changes regional TV partners and signs deal with WIN". Mediaweek. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Seven West Media to buy regional affiliate Prime for $132m". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Prime Media shareholders give the green light for Seven West Media merger". 7NEWS. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (31 December 2021). ""A real game-changer": Seven completes Prime Media acquisition". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Australian Communications & Media Authority. 24 July 2006. Archived from the originalon 13 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ "SA's last locally produced commercial regional news show axed". ABC News. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Knox, David (7 October 2009). "WIN mogul's favourite Susie led to sacked boss". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (6 March 2009). "Airdate: Alive and Cooking". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
External links
WIN Television: 'DAILY' (20.10.2010) on