Channel Nine suddenly axes Darwin television news bulletin
Channel Nine has axed its local news bulletin in Darwin, with staff told of the immediate cancellation on Wednesday. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
In short:
Channel Nine has axed its Darwin TV news bulletin, with staff told on Wednesday morning of the immediate cancellation.
The network will now air its nightly Queensland news bulletin to the Northern Territory, but will retain a local reporter and camera operator.
It leaves the ABC as the only network providing a locally-produced TV news bulletin in the NT.
Channel Nine has suddenly axed its Darwin television news bulletin, with staff told on Wednesday morning the service was being cancelled immediately.
The commercial network had been airing a local one-hour bulletin each weeknight, presented from Brisbane, with a crew of journalists and camera operators working from Darwin.
In a statement, a Nine spokesperson said the “difficult yet necessary” decision had been made to “ensure Nine is able to withstand external challenges”.
The local Darwin service will be replaced by the network’s Queensland bulletin seven nights a week.
Channel 9 will instead air the Queensland news bulletin to Darwin audiences. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
Nine Darwin was already airing Queensland’s bulletin each Saturday and Sunday.
The spokesperson said Channel Nine would retain a reporter and camera operator in Darwin “to tell the territory’s stories to a national audience”.
The change leaves the ABC as the only network providing a locally produced TV news bulletin in the Northern Territory.
University of Sydney Professor of Media Catharine Lumby said the axing was concerning for NT audiences who deserved "reporting on issues that affect them".
"It's very concerning to me that a city like Darwin, with the multicultural mix it has … is not being well-served by one of our premier free-to-air networks,"she said.
"Anyone's who's interested in the health of our democracy and of our media, and by the media I mean the fourth estate, real journalism, should be very concerned about this."
Catharine Lumby says local and regional media is an important part of upholding democracy. (ABC News)
Changes are also being made to Nine’s Gold Coast bulletin. It will now be presented by a single newsreader, with the job to be shared across the week.
Overall, 11 full-time roles are being impacted by the changes in Darwin and the Gold Coast, with three employees being made redundant.
Others are being offered redeployments within the company.
“Through redeployment opportunities and current vacancies, Nine has significantly reduced the number of people impacted by this decision and we are supporting those employees through this process,” the Nine spokesperson said.
Andrew Hyde was once a camera operator at Nine Darwin and has worked across the local media landscape. (Supplied)
Andrew Hyde, a former Channel 9 camera operator in Darwin, said it was a “very sad day” for the territory.
"That newsroom has been important in the media landscape in Darwin for 40 years,"he said.
“I think the town will be lesser for losing it, to be honest.”
Mr Hyde, who's worked in the media for more than three decades, said it was a "challenging time" for the industry.
"In a town the size of Darwin, a town with a strategic footprint like Darwin, having a local independent news service that can do its work diligently, and is appropriately funded, is just so important," he said.
Professor Lumby said a strong fourth estate was needed "more than ever", as artificial intelligence continued to fuel the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
"Commercial media no longer has the funding, the business model and the base to appropriately staff regional areas and even capital cities like Darwin," she said.
"We need good, expert, well-trained journalists on the ground, who know people, who know the connections and the contacts in different regions, who are able to report on the truth.
"That's very important for our democracy."
Selena Uibo said Nine Darwin had been "at the forefront of delivering trusted and timely" local news. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)
NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the axing was "hugely disappointing" and would leave a "significant gap" in the local media landscape.
"From covering the devastation of Cyclone Tracy to being first on the ground following the Bali bombings, Nine News Darwin has always been a reliable source of information during some of the most defining moments in our history," she said.
The NT government has been contacted for comment.