0/5

Orange and Wagga stations to close

Prime Television will close its Orange and Wagga Wagga studios just short of their 50th anniversaries.

Prime Television will close its Orange and Wagga Wagga studios just short of their 50th anniversaries because it can’t afford to upgrade them, according to The Australian.

The stations, formerly known as RVN 2 and CBN 8/Mid State TV, produced hours of local programming including quiz shows, children’s programs and news in their glory days.

As previously reported, the weeknight half-hour News will now come out of Canberra.

SKY News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos, who began his television career at CBN 8, said the era of proper locally produced regional television ended a long time ago.

“Technology is a great thing if we embrace it the right way. It’s important that regional TV doesn’t perpetuate the mistakes made by regional radio stations and remove so much localism that it has just become a network feed with 1800 numbers and weather inserts attached.”

An upgrade of facilities at the Albury studios is proceeding at a cost of less than $100,000.

Reports suggest Prime Tamworth could be next to go.

Source: The Australian

7 Responses

  1. So sad that what used to be a completely local and completely independent TV company has now vanished. CBN 8 CWN 6 in their sixties glory provided a splendid service to the folk of central and north western New South Wales.
    I am honoured to have been a staff member, presenting news and musical programmes……there are still a few original staff members around…we all mourn the loss of independent rural television in Australia.
    Perhaps the federal government should consider handing out community television licences to at least give back to those in country areas “their own voice”.

    Stephen Fleay

  2. These regional stations used to be great training grounds for on and off-camera personnel. It was a great learning enviroment because you’d try a bit of everything. I feel sorry for country kids now who want to work in TV but don’t know where to start and I’ve no idea where the metros are going to recruit from.

  3. I live in Griffith, NSW and we havent had a local news in years. Win Corp. downsized and Griffith was one of the branches to lose its local production. And if that isnt bad enough, currently (changing November) we only have Prime and Win (no Ten or sister channels to any) and they are relayed from Wollongong. There is no such thing as local TV…merely relays from where ever big-shots wish to invest money!

  4. I’d say Tamworth would be last to go as they produce 2 bulletins – and they’d never touch GWN news. It actually rates despite the average content.

  5. “It’s important that regional TV doesn’t perpetuate the mistakes made by regional radio stations and remove so much localism that it has just become a network feed with 1800 numbers and weather inserts attached.”
    Ahh… I love my TV, but I think TV pioneered that. All regional TV is these days is the network feed with a half-hour news bulletin inserted where they can! Hardly any localism left in TV. And because it’s so expensive to make, it will never change.

Leave a Reply