An online petition has been launched calling on WIN Television to immediately reinstate Canberra-based news and sport anchors.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The petition, organised by the Tuggeranong Community Council, also asks WIN management to ''reverse its decision to downgrade the WIN TV local Canberra news service'' and ''give loyal WIN TV Canberra viewers an assurance their locally produced and presented news service will be retained''.
WIN News from Monday has been produced and presented in Wollongong, WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster maintaining the network had to undertake efficiencies to remain viable but that the quality of the live-to-air bulletin would not be compromised.
Tuggeranong Community Council secretary and former WIN journalist Darryl Johnston said the petition went live on Thursday night.
''The TCC is encouraging all Canberra residents to sign the petition and to circulate it to family and friends via email and online social media,'' he said.
Mr Johnston said despite WIN's assurances, there was concern in the Canberra community that the changes would have an impact on local news coverage.
''The TCC believes this is just the first step and eventually WIN TV will decide to no longer employ journalists in its Canberra newsroom at all,'' he said.
''It is concerning eventually news stories will be written by journalists in Wollongong or elsewhere and who have little or no knowledge of the national capital, do not have a feel for our city and do not have the Canberra news contacts to be able to initiate or generate stories themselves.''
The petition can be found here.