Regional journalism is bearing the brunt of Australia's media ad slump, with hundreds of jobs now on the line across two major networks
Regional journalism is bearing the brunt of Australia's collapsing television advertising market, with WIN Network's plan to gut its NBN News operation the latest in a string of significant media redundancies threatening hundreds of jobs in June 2026.
WIN Network, owned by Birketu and home to NBN News and Network 10, has proposed slashing dozens of positions across its regional New South Wales and Northern Territory newsrooms, with journalist numbers in Newcastle alone set to fall from 10 to four – a reduction of six full-time roles in a single bureau, according to internal documents reported by Mediaweek on 11 June 2026.
Camera operators in Newcastle would fall from seven to three. Across the network, the restructure would remove around 10 journalist positions and nine camera operator roles.
A final decision is expected by 17 June 2026, with changes taking effect from 29 June 2026 should the proposal proceed. WIN Network confirmed it had opened a formal consultation period, with staff invited to submit feedback by 15 June 2026.
The WIN announcement follows hard on the heels of a separate wave of cuts at Southern Cross Media Group – the company formed from the January 2026 merger of Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media – where up to 200 employees are facing redundancy as falling TV ad revenue forces a major cost reset.
The majority of those cuts are expected to fall on the Seven West Media side of the business, including the television newsroom.
What's driving the cuts
The common thread across both restructures is a rapidly deteriorating television advertising market. Australia's media agency advertising market declined 11.6% in April 2026, impacted in part by the absence of political advertising, according to data from Guideline SMI.
Television was the hardest-hit segment: the television sector was down 25% in April 2026 compared with the same month in 2025, compounding a multi-year contraction that saw TV ad spend fall 7.6% across the full 2024–25 financial year, according to Guideline SMI's annual report.
For Southern Cross Media, the combined entity's market capitalisation has fallen from approximately $420 million at the time of the January 2026 merger to around $287 million, according to sources cited in media reporting.
WIN Network cited shifting viewing habits, rising cost pressures, and technological change as the drivers behind its proposal. The network said the revised model would allow NBN News to continue delivering a dedicated 30-minute local news, sport, and weather bulletin each weeknight while creating a more sustainable operating structure.
The company said it was prioritising redeployment opportunities across WIN and would conduct the process "transparently and collaboratively."
One affected employee told Mediaweek: "If they offer me a position that's not close to my home and I say I can't do it, they won't have to pay out a redundancy" – highlighting a concern familiar to HR practitioners managing restructures under the Fair Work Act.
Restructure signals a structural shift, not just a cost cycle
The scale and speed of these redundancies signal something beyond a temporary cyclical correction. Both WIN Network's NBN News restructure and Southern Cross Media's cuts reflect a structural reorientation of Australian media businesses around reduced headcounts, technology platform upgrades, and tighter content-sharing arrangements between broadcast properties.
At WIN Network, the proposed structure introduces new "Journalist TEN" roles – pointing to deeper content integration between NBN News and Network 10 – alongside a new Social Media journalist position, replacing traditional roles such as the MEX Operator with NXT Operator/Studio positions as part of a technology platform upgrade.
The Chief Producer title also disappears, replaced by a State Editor/Executive Producer, while a newly created National News Director role sits above a recast State News Director.
