Regional Australia Is Losing Free-to-Air TV — And the Government Can’t Ignore It – Regional Australians are once again being left behind by the slow collapse of free-to-air television services, after regional broadcaster WIN Television confirmed it will stop broadcasting Network 10 programming in the Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith markets.
The decision has reignited serious concerns about the future of television access in regional Australia, particularly for older Australians and communities with poor internet connectivity who still rely on traditional aerial broadcasts.
A spokesperson for Network 10 acknowledged the impact the shutdown will have on viewers.
“We know this change is a real and unfair disruption for many regional viewers, especially those with limited internet access or less familiarity with streaming technology.
“We are disappointed by WIN’s decision to stop broadcasting Network 10 in the Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith markets. As more advertising shifts to digital platforms, it is important for the Government to continue to support regional broadcasters so essential local services communities rely on can be maintained.
“While aerial transmission in these areas is outside our control, viewers who can access streaming can still find us on the 10 app on connected TVs and mobile devices, or at 10.com.au.”
While the commercial realities behind the decision are understandable, the broader implications are deeply concerning.
This is not an isolated incident. Regional viewers have seen this before. Mildura previously lost access to Network 10 programming via traditional broadcast arrangements, and now further regional markets are following the same path. The pattern is becoming impossible to ignore.
The bigger issue is that Australia’s regional television licence structure is outdated and increasingly unworkable in a modern media environment.
Smaller “monopoly” and supplementary joint venture licence areas have long restricted competition and flexibility in regional television markets. These arrangements may have made sense decades ago, but today they are contributing to the erosion of services instead of protecting them.
In South Australia particularly, the current setup no longer reflects how audiences consume media or how broadcasters operate commercially. Rather than maintaining fragmented and economically fragile licence areas such as Riverland and Mount Gambier separately, there is a strong argument for amalgamating them into a broader Regional South Australia market.
Other states already operate under far simpler and more sustainable models.
Western Australia effectively functions with two major television markets — Perth and Regional Western Australia. Queensland similarly separates Brisbane from Regional Queensland, while still allowing for multiple aggregated licence regions within the broader regional market.
A similar model could easily be adopted elsewhere. Griffith, for example, could logically be incorporated into the broader Regional South New South Wales market rather than remaining isolated under outdated arrangements.
Amalgamating markets and reforming licence structures would provide broadcasters with greater scale and sustainability while helping preserve access to free-to-air television services for regional Australians.
Because ultimately, this is no longer just a commercial issue — it is becoming a public access issue.
For decades, free-to-air television has been treated as a universal service Australians could reasonably expect to receive with nothing more than an antenna and a television set. That assumption is now breaking down.
Streaming may be the future, but for many Australians the infrastructure simply is not ready. Internet affordability, reliability and speeds remain inconsistent across regional Australia, leaving many households unable to transition fully to digital viewing platforms.
The result is a growing divide where metropolitan audiences continue to enjoy abundant viewing options while regional Australians gradually lose access to major television services altogether.
The Federal Government cannot continue treating these closures as isolated commercial decisions. If regional broadcasting is considered an essential service — particularly during emergencies, natural disasters and major public events — then structural reform and long-term support are urgently needed.
Otherwise, the closure of Network 10 services in Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith may only be the beginning.
TV Central 10 content HERE
Regional Australia Is Losing Free-to-Air TV — And the Government Can’t Ignore It
