Local Losses

Nine is plunging into disarray following the death of media giant Kerry Packer last year and it's hitting home hard on the Gold Coast where one of Kerry's prides, Nine Gold Coast News, has been axed in all but name.

The 5.30 news bulletin has been a winner in the Coast market, providing a valuable lead-in to the Brisbane edition of National Nine News at 6pm.

But, as long time front man Rob Readings bows out with a voluntary redundancy package, the Gold Coast program is being relocated to Brisbane from where Gillian Whiting will read the 'local' news gathered by crews on the ground.

It's a major mistake in a market in which parochialism has been elevated almost to an art form by the media, especially as it's said to be saving Nine a measly $1.5 million.

And one can't help but suggest that centralising news in the face of losses to Pay TV and the Internet is a strange reaction.

Pay and Net have forged huge inroads into the news business by catering to niche markets.

And here is Nine abandoning a successful niche market.
Go fig.