Fighting to keep Channel Ten in Griffith

Last year WIN switched off Channel Seven in Griffith and, after a huge community backlash, we fought together and got it back. Now they are doing the exact same thing again, this time with Channel Ten, 10 Drama and 10 Comedy.

From July 1, families across Griffith and surrounding communities stand to lose Channel Ten and everything that comes with it, including MasterChef, the A-League, major news coverage, entertainment and sport, because the agreement between WIN and Ten has expired and WIN and Ten are deciding regional viewers are simply not worth the cost.

What makes this even worse is that most regional areas and cities around Australia do not operate under this kind of "sole licence market" arrangement. In almost every other market there is competition between broadcasters. But Griffith and Mount Gambier are different. WIN holds an exclusive protected commercial television licence over these regions, meaning no competing commercial broadcaster is allowed to operate here.

That protected arrangement was supposed to ensure regional viewers still received proper television services. Instead, viewers are watching channels disappear one by one while still having no alternative provider.

First Sky News was stripped away from our region. Then Channel Seven disappeared last year. Now it is Channel Ten, 10 Drama and 10 Comedy. Bit by bit, regional viewers are being treated like second-class Australians.

When Seven was pulled, I wrote to WIN, I contacted the Communications Minister, I involved senators from both sides of politics, and we forced the networks back to the table until Seven returned under a three-year agreement. We will do the same again for Ten.

But the community should not have to fight this battle over and over every single year just to keep basic television services. Griffith, the Riverina and surrounding regional communities need to stand together again and fight for the rights most Australians already take for granted.

That is why I am calling on Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells to put WIN on notice. If WIN wants to continue holding its exclusive protected licence in the Griffith and Mount Gambier markets, then it must provide the full suite of free-to-air commercial television services like every other broadcaster in Australia. If it refuses, the Minister should review that protected arrangement and open the market to someone prepared to properly serve regional viewers.

A protected market comes with responsibilities to the people who live there. Regional Australians deserve the same access, the same respect and the same services as every capital city viewer.