Historic deal to launch new channel

SKY News programs will be broadcast on free-to-air TV under an Australian-first deal to be announced today.

Select Sky News live programming and time-shifted shows will be broadcast on a new WIN TV channel in 29 regional areas across the country.

The deal, between Sky News owner Australian News Channel and the WIN Network, will create a new channel to be called Sky News on WIN, to launch later this year.

Sky News on WIN will not be a simulcast of Foxtel’s Sky News channel. The new channel’s full programming line-up is yet to be announced.

The deal will also grant Sky News access to WIN News content for its Foxtel news channels and allow WIN to show Sky’s national affairs content on local news bulletins.

Australian News Channel CEO Angelos Frangopoulos said the deal would increase quality content on both networks.

“The content supply agreement with the WIN Network is a historic moment for our company providing, for the first time, the opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of the news, sports news, weather news and public affairs content available on our premium Sky News channels on Foxtel to even more Australians,” he said.

WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster said regional viewers would be major beneficiaries from the deal.

“WIN is proud of its position as Australia’s most prolific producer of quality regional news content and this new agreement will allow WIN to strengthen its commitment to informing regional Australians,” he said.

“As well as producing 16 dedicated local news bulletins, WIN is now giving regional Australians the complete local, national and international news, sport and current affairs stories across their day.”

Sky News on WIN will broadcast on channel 83 in Queensland. The Sky News and Sky Business channels are available on Foxtel.

The Australian News Channel is owned by News Corp Australia, publishers of this newspaper.