WIN Corporation will halve NBN News weeknight bulletins and axe weekend editions entirely from 27 June 2026, as Nine chief executive Matt Stanton marks the completion of his company’s regional television exit.
From that date, a 30-minute locally produced bulletin will air Monday to Friday at 5:30 pm, replacing the existing one-hour program. Nine News will follow at 6:00 pm. Weekend bulletins will be discontinued and replaced by Nine News at 6:00 pm across Northern NSW.
According to a WIN spokesperson, the changes will result in “an extended 90 minutes of local, national and international news coverage each weeknight,” arguing the new half-hour format would carry more local content than the existing hour-long bulletin, which currently includes a mix of local, national, and international stories.
New control room, digital expansion flagged
The spokesperson went on to tell Mediaweek that the construction of a new control room at the NBN Studios in Newcastle would begin shortly, meaning the bulletin would be produced locally rather than from Brisbane.
The network said it was also exploring opportunities to expand news content to digital platforms.
NBN News will continue to be presented from Newcastle, with journalists and camera operators based across Northern NSW and the Gold Coast – including Newcastle, Central Coast, Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, and Tamworth.
Nine marks end of an era
In a message to staff, Stanton described the transition of Nine’s regional television assets to WIN Network as “the largest change to the shape of our business in over a decade,” completed alongside the QMS Media acquisition in March and a radio sale in April.
“The decision to sell any business is not made lightly, nor is it a reflection of the talented people who make up that business – but reshaping Nine is critical to our success,” Stanton said, wishing the NBN and Darwin teams “all the best for the future.”
Staff concerns remain
The announcements come amid reported staff concerns. The Newcastle Herald reported fears over potential job losses and reduced local coverage – issues WIN has not addressed publicly.
NBN News has served Northern NSW for more than six decades and has been a consistent ratings performer in the 6:00 pm timeslot. From 27 June, that slot will belong to Sydney’s Nine News.
This story has been updated.