It was originally two individual stations serving different regions. SES-8 originally planned to launch on 20 November 1965. Due to a tensioning wire being snapped on a 500-foot transmitter mast at Mount Burr, sending the tower crashing to the ground and containing 200 tonnes of steel,[2] SES-8 instead commenced transmissions on 25 March 1966 at 7:30pm, opened by Dr. Jim Forbes, who also helped open national station ABGS-1 in December 1965, serving Mount Gambier and south-east South Australia. Its first program was a 25-minute special, Tonight's the Night, fronted by SES-8's first newsreader Lewis Hobba.[3][4] It was followed by a 5-minute news service, Peter Paul And Mary In Australia and the 1958 film The Big Country.[3] It closed for the day at 11:32pm after the Closing Thoughts.[3] RTS-5A began on 26 November 1976 serving Loxton, Renmark and the Riverland, and opened with introductions from Julie Blyth and John Harvey. The 1965 film The Great Race started at 6:05pm, before RTS' official opening at 8:40pm. Blyth and Harvey returned to host the official opening, with the Minister for Post and Telecommunications, Eric Robinson, doing the honours by declaring RTS open. The evening's programs concluded with the 1961 film The Guns of Navarone, which was broadcast at 9:20pm.[5][6]
On 9 November 1998, parts of the RTS-5A studio were destroyed by a fire. RTS was back on air less than seven hours later, transmitting test patterns. Station manager Wendy Mudge stated that "The old studio will be torn down to make way for a new one". By this time, RTS was bought by SES, but it continued to produce a local news bulletin, and identified on-air as 5A.[7]
In June 1999, WIN Television acquired SES and RTS and integrated them into the WIN Television network in November, with the branding now matching that of the Nine Network. In 2003, 24-hour transmission commenced.[5]
SES and RTS, along with GTS/BKN, switched off its analogue signal on 15 December 2010 at 9am. SES and RTS planned to start providing the digital multi-channels GO!, GEM, 7TWO, 7mate, One and Eleven, expanding to the south east area from 11 November 2011, with other areas completed by early 2012.[9]
On 1 July 2016, WIN Seven (SES/RTS) and WIN Nine (SDS/RDS), continued to align with the Seven Network and the Nine Network respectively, at the same time of the start of its affiliation with Network Ten on WIN Ten (MGS/LRS).
On 1 July 2021, the TV channels Seven SA (SES/RTS), Nine SA (SDS/RDS), and WIN SA (MGS/LRS) underwent a rebranding to align with their new program supply agreement with the Seven Network, the Nine Network, and Network 10, respectively. As of that date, Seven SA and Nine SA continued their affiliation with the Seven Network and the Nine Network, respectively, and there were no changes to their network affiliations. WIN SA (MGS/LRS), however, changed its name to 10 SA and remained affiliated with Network 10. Additionally, SDS/RDS became the main WIN station in South Australia once again.
On 30 June 2024, WIN ended their advertising agreement with the Seven Network, ending the ability for local advertisers to book advertising on Seven through WIN and ending local transmissions of SES Mount Gambier after 58 years, and RTS in the Riverland after 47 years.[10] Both stations are now full-time dirty feeds of SAS-7 Adelaide complete with Adelaide commercials. SDS/RDS (Nine) and MGS/LRS (10) continue to insert local commercials into their ad breaks.
Channel Nine
WIN in South Australia, like its services in other states, was primarily an affiliate of the Nine Network. However, in September 2007, WIN Television announced plans to convert the station into a sole Seven Network affiliate, due to a disagreement with the Nine Network's owner, PBL Media, over affiliation advertising revenue.[11] As a result of the switch, alongside the local news updates, WIN SA began broadcasting Seven News and Today Tonight from SAS in Adelaide rather than Nine's, as well as Seven's national newscasts and Sunrise.
On 7 August 2009, WIN recommenced broadcasting Channel Nine as a digital only service (callsign SDS in Spencer Gulf and RDS in the Riverland), would be starting on 4 October 2009.[12][13] The channel is a direct feed of NWS-9 Adelaide, but with local commercials.
After SES's and RTS's analogue signal was switched off, the three services were rebranded as Seven SA, WIN and Ten SA. On 1 July 2016, they rebranded as Seven SA, Nine SA, and WIN respectively, to represent a change in affiliation within the WIN Network. On 1 July 2021, they rebranded as Seven SA, Nine SA, and 10 SA respectively, to represent a change in affiliation within the WIN Network.
Programming
Seven SA broadcasts programs from the Seven Network, including the Adelaide edition of Seven News while Nine SA broadcasts programs from the Nine Network, including the Adelaide edition of Nine News and A Current Affair. The station also carries the Adelaide feeds of 7two, 7mate, 9Go!, 9Gem and 9Life.
News output
Up until October 2010, two separate bulletins were produced for the Mount Gambier and Riverland areas.[14]
Then until February 2013, WIN News produced and broadcast a regional news bulletin for the combined SES/RTS region each weekday evening.[14] Reporters and camera crews were based within the area at newsrooms in Mount Gambier and Loxton with the bulletin latterly broadcast from NWS-9's studios in Adelaide.
The last regional program was broadcast on Friday 15 February 2013 with the news service ceasing operations after the weekend, and ten staff at the Mount Gambier and Loxton newsrooms made redundant.[15]
In 2014, WIN introduced short local news updates for the two areas, produced in co-operation with The Border Watch and The Murray Pioneer. The updates, presented by Britt Ditterich, air on all three WIN services during the 6pm timeslot (during Seven News for Seven SA, 10 News First and The Project for 10 SA and Nine News for Nine SA). All 3 WIN channels also carry the SA and national editions of news programs of their respective partner networks, plus state and national updates from the latter as well as The Project (10 SA only).
