With the exception of HD quality, TV in regional areas of Australia have today gone through the biggest change in decades. From today, the WIN Network will now show programs you’re used to seeing on Network Ten. Channel numbers won’t change and neither will the broadcast frequencies, so you won’t have to re-tune your TV or DVR, the guide should have updated automatically. What will change is the channel you need to select to find your favourite content.
This change arrives on our doorsteps as a result of the contract for regional broadcast rights known as supply agreements, being bought by WIN, essentially outbidding Channel Ten, its quite confusing, so lets hope it doesn’t change hands again any time soon. The last agreement lasted 30 years, so here’s hoping we get through this change and Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and WIN keep it for the long-term, at least long enough for TV to all be broadcast over the internet, then it won’t matter.
If you fire up the LIFE channel, one of our more recent additions, you’ll find a broadcast loop promoting the other channels on the WIN network. You can however life stream the LIFE channel via the web at 9NOW.
If you’re a fan of shows like The Project, The Living Room, Family Feud, MasterChef Australia, Offspring, Survivor, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, NCIS and Modern Family, then you’ll now find them on WIN. That’s certainly going to take some getting used to. Those of us that use DVRs to record and timeshift our TV watching, you will need to set new season passes to ensure your favourite shows continue to be recorded.
Sporting fans will also be affected with over 500 hours of motor racing content including the V8 supercars and Formula One will now come to WIN. Cricket’s Big Bash and Rugby International games will also be shown on WIN. WIN News will be broadcast at 6pm each weeknight on Channel 8 and on WIN’s HD Channel 80, so the commitment to local news isn’t changing for regional Australia.
This change effects people in regional Queensland, Southern NSW and in Victoria the following broadcast regions, Albury/Wodonga, Shepparton, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland.
As you’d know, there’s been a number of secondary channels added by each broadcaster in recent years, so we need to talk about how these channels translate in the new world order. To confirm, TV channels are still as per the following list:
- WIN (SD) is on channel 8
- WIN HD is on channel 80
- One is on channel 81
- Eleven is on 84
- The infomercial channels of TVSN and GOLD you should probably just hide.
From today, the Nine Network channels and their programs like Today, A Current Affair, The Voice, 60 Minutes and the NRL State of Origin will be broadcast by Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) on Channels 5, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54. See this isn’t confusing at all.
The only difference will be that WIN channels on your TV guide will now carry TEN, One and Eleven programs. TEN will be on channel 8, TEN HD on 80, One on 81, Eleven on 82.
