A WIN for regional TV?

With a new managing director, and a history of expansion, WIN TV is headed for bigger and better things in future. WIN has grown since its 1979 inception to become the fourth largest television station in Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2275876.htm

David Butorac has been Managing Director of WIN TV since February, 2008. He has reported that strengths in the local market have continued, despite an overall national decrease in advertising and stock sales. However, he admits that there are limitations to being a regional television station, such as not having access to the Olympic Games.

While WIN is still considered to be a regional broadcaster, it has been Mr Butorac‘s job to expand it even further from its last year’s successes of adding channel nine in Perth and Adelaide. Mr Butorac has pointed out that WIN is a larger company than many people give it credit for, describing it as a ‘large cross media company’ with its portfolio not limited to not only to TV, but radio, property, infrastructure business. He describes the TV side of the business as a ‘multichannel TV business in its infant stage’ and to expect ongoing expansion.

In this multifaceted vein Mr Butorac is looking for further acquisition for the purposes of putting to use synergy in respect to all areas of the business. He reports that he does not intend to ‘do a packer’ and get out of any of the aforementioned areas. What he intends to concentrate on is the expansion of digital TV and radio. He sees the ‘digital era’ as bringing both risk and opportunity. It is in his belief that broadcasting technology and consumers are ahead of programmers in this respect. Programmers, in a sense, need to keep up with consumers.

So far the expansion process has been a success, with the millions used to purchase channel nine stations in Adelaide and Perth leading to wider viewing figures. However, Mr Butorac stresses that WIN will continue to represented both local identity and community. WIN TV, he says, is heavily invested in local news matters, and claims that the local marketing support reflects this.
While WIN is proud of its local content, including local versions of current affair programs, a local morning program, and news. However, there has been criticism that WIN TV is sending such ‘local’ news programs to parts of the country that where they have no relevance.

In response to this Mr Butorac has said that WIN TV’s news capacity reaches 28 places in Australia, and in local markets. He has promised to expand on that and reiterates that he is proud to have such links in these local areas.

Mr Butorac does not believe that there will be many issues in expanding WIN TV online and bringing it into the digital age due to restricted broadband. He has already made structural changes within the company by adding a digital media role to expand the business. He expects digital television will bring the consumer greater choice. The entailing ‘fragmented markets and audiences,’ he says, ‘will be greater than the parts that stand’, intimating that digital TV can only bring more viewers in front of the television. Mr Butorac does not intend to stop at digital TV.
He sees WIN as crossing the frontiers of both online and mobile experiences, imagining that WIN viewers will one day be able to download programs to their phones or mobile devices.

There has been a perception that WIN’s continues to act like a medium sized business, instead of the large business that it is. Mr Butorac agrees that this is true, but the perception is incorrect. People often mistake regional based as rural broadcasting, not taking realising that there are major rural areas, areas indeed that derive their income and enjoy their lifestyle the same way people in the city do. He says competitors have also failed to recognise that 42% of Australians are ‘watching Nine content, on a WIN screen.’

In terms of advertising, Mr Butorac understands that advertisers see regional areas as 'a more complex buy', but at the same time, strong national brand advertisers’ receive an equal if not greater result. Mr Butorac says People who live in regional Australia don’t want to be treated any differently than those in capital cities; the markets in rural areas are not just changing because of retirement, but because of quality of life, so a wider audience is to be expected.

Mr Butorac has experienced no frustration with the way the government has treated the priority of regional television and radio. He sees that ‘policy makers are aware of complexities of regional broadcast’. In this respect, he sees WIN TV on par with the ABC. WIN’s 200 transmitter sites are already undergoing ‘capital infrastructure changes and transmissions’ way ahead of anyone else, including most of their commercial rivals. He does not believe that WIN is at any disability in accessing support or the ear of state and federal policymakers.

It seems that there is a bright future ahead of WIN, and perhaps major commercial stations should keep a close eye on a station that was until recently considered a ‘dark horse’.

In my opinion part of the reason rural stations should exist is to represent rural areas, particularly in the area of news. While living in Whyalla, the local TV station and newspaper were the only resources for local news, news that directly affected the community. Whyalla, as a rural area is also underestimated – it is, population wise, the third largest city in South Australia- and therefore its residents should not expect any less quality or specific broadcasting to their area. What concerns me is Mr Butorac oblique answer concerning sending local news to areas where it has no relevance whatsoever. This is not taking communities seriously and if not addressed, will see more and more people switching over to watch a nation-wide news, rather than a local news channel.