FORMER journalists and network executives have criticised WIN Television's cuts to NBN News, calling the changes a "kick in the guts" and urging politicians to take action.
The changes, announced this week following WIN's takeover, include the axing of weekend bulletins and the replacement of the traditional 6pm news with a pre-recorded 30-minute local bulletin at 5.30pm.
Media consultant Andrew Bell worked as WIN's head of western news in the 1990s. He said back then NBN News was the "gold standard" in regional television.
"I remember watching NBN coverage of the Newcastle earthquake from the master control room at WIN Television in Wollongong, and we were astounded with what they did within an hour of that happening," Mr Bell said.
"Now we're down to bare bones and a workflow that means if anything happens after lunchtime, there's no way it's going to get on the news that night."
Mr Bell said not only is local news important for keeping councils and government in check, but for keeping the community connected.
"It's a kick in the guts, it really is," he said.
Mr Bell said governments had failed to adapt media ownership laws to the realities of digital disruption.
"It was sort of bound to happen, but if someone with half a brain in government had been keeping an eye out, we could have started to redesign the system.
"Maybe government or somebody can do something fast, but the media landscape is too chaotic and too terrifying, and it's easier to close down than reimagine."
As staff fear for their jobs and raise concerns about local coverage, WIN maintains it invests more in regional news than any other Australian broadcaster.
A WIN Television spokeswoman did not directly address questions from the Newcastle Herald about job cuts but said NBN News will continue to be produced and presented from its studio in Newcastle.
She said the new 30-minute bulletin would focus exclusively on local news, unlike the current one-hour program, which also includes national and international stories.
"Construction of a new state-of-the-art control room at the NBN Studios in Newcastle will commence shortly, meaning NBN News will be truly produced locally and not from a control room in Brisbane, and opportunities to expand news content to digital platforms are currently being explored," she said.
The changes come despite NBN's continued ratings dominance across northern NSW.
In 2025, NBN remained northern NSW's most-watched network for a 33rd consecutive year, recording a 46.7 per cent commercial audience share.
A survey shows NBN News Sunday, which will go under the changes, was the definitive leader in its timeslot, delivering an average audience result of more than double that of its nearest competitor.
Former Seven Network executive Laurie Patton said the changes are the "direct result" of a 2017 decision by the Coalition to lift the 75 per cent national audience reach rule, which saw city networks buy up regional stations.
"Having run a regional television network I'm struck by the irony of pulling local bulletins on weekends," he said.
"In my experience, regional viewers are after sport, weather and news, in that order. For a sport-loving community like Newcastle, this just seems a weird decision.
"I don't think Newcastle viewers see themselves as merely a satellite city of Sydney."
Jeremy Lasek worked as WIN TV news director in the late 1990s.
"It is of course understandable where people have received live news on their TV for decades that they feel there's a loss of quality of the news service they receive," he said.
"My hope in Newcastle is that all the jobs in the TV newsroom are safe and the team continues to deliver the same quality product NBN has been famous for all these years."
Hunter-based federal MPs Pat Conroy, Dan Repacholi, Sharon Claydon and Meryl Swanson released a joint statement on Tuesday calling on WIN Network to commit to retaining all local journalists and staff.
On Wednesday, Wallsend MP Sonia Horney described the decision as a "blow to regional news, local communities and democracy itself".
"This is unfortunately the sad state of news and journalism in this country, profits are put before people and we all miss out," she said.
Lyne MP Alison Penfold said when WIN announced its acquisition of NBN, she called on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to intervene.
"Well I am sad to say that we've been screwed," she said.
"We, the people of the Hunter and Mid North Coast, are not second-class citizens."
