Joint media release - McIntosh and Webster - Seven back kicking goals on WIN after negotiation breakthrough

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

Dr Anne Webster MP
Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories
Shadow Minister for Regional Communications
Federal Member for Mallee

3 July 2025

Seven back kicking goals on WIN after negotiation breakthrough

The Coalition has this afternoon expressed its relief that the WIN and Seven networks have come to a commercial agreement and reinstated Channel 7 content in the South Australian Riverland and Mount Gambier areas, and in Griffith, New South Wales.

The move comes after Shadow Ministers for Communications Melissa McIntosh MP and for Regional Communications Dr Anne Webster MP called on the networks to come to an agreement. Additionally, Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin MP secured over 2,000 petition signatures against the move and Opposition Leader and Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley MP advocated for Channel 7 to be back on television.

Shadow Minister for Communications Melissa McIntosh MP said, “the Coalition strongly welcomes the decision by WIN and Seven to recontinue broadcasting Channel 7 across the Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith communities because regional towns deserve access to free-to-air content like the cities.”  

“It is disappointing these regional communities were left without Channel 7 and its affiliates being broadcast for 2 days. The government should have intervened to get the networks to solve their agreement issues much earlier.”

Shadow Minister for Regional Communications Dr Anne Webster MP said, “on 1 July 2024 WIN switched off the Ten stations in my hometown of Mildura, and they never came back.”

“We in the Coalition make no apology for advocating strongly for all in power, including the Albanese Government, to do what they could to reconnect regional Australians to their favourite programs, football broadcasts and other Channel 7 content.

“We can’t let the Albanese Government just shrug its shoulders after this near miss for regional viewers.”