SES/RTS, part of the
WIN TelevisionWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
network, are
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n
television stationA television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s licensed to, and serving
Mount GambierMount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
and
RiverlandThe Riverland, is a region of South Australia. It covers the area near the Murray River from where it flows into South Australia downstream to Blanchetown.The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxton, Waikerie and Barmera...
in
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The station commenced transmissions on 25 March 1966.
History
It was originally two individual stations serving different regions. SES-8 commenced transmissions on 25 March 1966 serving Mount Gambier and south-east South Australia. RTS-5a began on 26 November 1976 serving
LoxtonLoxton is a town on the south bank of the River Murray in the Riverland region of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Loxton had a population of 3,431....
, Renmark and the Riverland.
In 1999,
WIN TelevisionWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
acquired SES and RTS and integrated them into the
WIN TelevisionWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
network.
Prior to 2004, SES/RTS was the only commercial
television stationA television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
broadcasting in Mount Gambier and the
south east of South AustraliaThe Limestone Coast is a name used since the early twentyfirst century for the geographical region and tourist region of the southeast coast of South Australia from the Victoria border to the towards the city of Adelaide.-Location and description:...
. The station broadcast a mixture of programs derived from the
Seven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
,
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and
Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. However in 2004,
WIN TelevisionWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
introduced a sole
Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
affiliate,
WIN Ten (
MGS/LRSMGS and LRS are television stations in South Australia. Both are relays of ADS-10 in AdelaidePrior to 2004, SES/RTS was the only commercial television station broadcasting in Mount Gambier and the south east of South Australia. The station broadcast a mixture of programs derived from the Seven...
), becoming the second commercial television station in the region. Following this, SES/RTS became a sole
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
affiliate, only sport programs (particularly
AFLThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches) being acquired from the
Seven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
SES and RTS, along with GTS/BKN, switched off its analogue signal on 15 December 2010 at 9am. SES and RTS plan on starting to provide the multichannels GO!, GEM, 7TWO, 7mate, One and Eleven, expanding to the south east area from November 11, with other areas to be complete by early 2012.
Channel Nine
WIN in South Australia, like its services in other states, was primarily an affiliate of the
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. However, in September 2007, WIN Television announced plans to convert the station into a sole
Seven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
affiliate, due to a disagreement with the Nine Network's owner,
PBL MediaNine Entertainment Co. is a media company owned by CVC Asia Pacific.Originally a 50/50 joint venture with Consolidated Media Holdings, in June 2007 PBL announced that it would sell a further 25% to CVC for A$ 515 million...
, over affiliation advertising revenue.
On 7 August 2009, WIN SA announced that a new digital only service, Channel Nine (or "WIN Nine"), would be starting on 4 October 2009. The channel is a direct feed of NWS-9 Adelaide, but with local commercials.
After SES's and RTS's analogue signal was switched off, the three services were rebranded as Seven, WIN and Ten SA, and WIN News was moved to the Nine digital service, making Nine the main WIN service again in South Australia.
WIN News
WIN NewsWIN News is a local television news service in parts of regional Australia, produced by WIN Television. 20 regional bulletins are presented from studios in Wollongong, Canberra, Ballarat, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Mount Gambier, Hobart and Perth.-History:As well as its flagship nightly...
produces a regional news bulletin for the combined SES/RTS region each weekday evening at 6.30pm. Reporters and camera crews are based within the area at newsrooms in
Mount GambierMount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
and
LoxtonLoxton is a town on the south bank of the River Murray in the Riverland region of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Loxton had a population of 3,431....
with the bulletin broadcast from NWS-9's studios in Adelaide.
WIN News South Australia is presented by Stephanie Boltje, with Stuart Stansfield being the fill-in presenter. The chief of staff is Stuart Stansfield, based in Mount Gambier. The reporters are Jack Berketa in Mount Gambier and Jessica Stanley & Adam Watherston in Loxton.
Up until October 2010, two separate bulletins were produced for the Mount Gambier and Riverland areas. WIN Television said no jobs would be lost as a result of the merger.
External links