Regional WA regains access to Channel 9 programs

The broadcast of all three signals has now resumed. 

EARLIER: Regional Western Australia have been cut off from watching Channel 9 programs on their televisions after the network were unable to strike a deal with WA licence holders WIN and Prime. 

Nine released a statement on Friday morning saying WIN and Prime rejected all offers to find a reasonable negotiated agreement despite Nine concluding new program supply agreements for all other regional licence areas across Australia. 

“The only beneficiaries of this situation are Prime and WIN who will now broadcast their signals in regional WA with no real competition from West Digital Television,” the statement said. 

“This is at odds with the purpose of the licence which West Digital Television has been granted and a terrible disservice to their audience. 

“There will also be less options for advertisers in the region and no ability for local advertisers to reach consumers in regional WA in association with Nine’s top ratings programs.”

Prime Media Group and the WIN corporation said they have worked in good faith with Nine over the past couple of weeks to negotiate the terms of a program affiliation agreement for the join venture, West Digital Television, from July 1 onwards. 

“Unfortunately the parties were not able to reach an agreement by the deadline and as a result all Nine, GEM and GO programming ceased to broadcast in regional Western  Australia from midnight Thursday night,” their statement said. 

“PRIME Media Group and WIN Corporation will endeavour to work with Nine Entertainment Company over the coming days to reach an agreement to resume the broadcast of Nine, GEM and GO as soon as possible for the viewers of regional Western Australia.”

In the meantime, viewers can access Nine content by downloading the 9Now App to watch our programs live or on catch up.