 Logo used since 2019 | |
| Type | News channel |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Broadcast area | Australia New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Macquarie Park, New South Wales |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | News Corp Australia |
| Parent | Australian News Channel |
| Sister channels | Sky News Weather Channel Sky News Extra |
| History | |
| Launched | 19 February 1996; 29 years ago (1996-02-19)[1] |
| Links | |
| Website | skynews |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview (Australia) | Channel 56 (Regional Victoria, Queensland and southern NSW) Channel 53 (Regional northern NSW andGold Coast, Queensland) |
| Foxtel (Australia) | Channel 691 Channel 600 (HD) |
| Sky Television (New Zealand) | Channel 85 |
| Streaming media | |
| Australia Channel | Watch live outside Australia |
| Flash News | Watch live within Australia |
| Foxtel GO | Watch live within Australia |
Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned byNews Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while itsprime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs featuring a line-up ofconservativecommentators.[2][3][4]
Sky News Australia is distributed onpay television in Australia and New Zealand, while a free-to-air version of the service,Sky News Regional (which features programming from Sky News Australia andFox Sports News) is distributed ondigital terrestrial television bySouthern Cross Austereo and selectedWIN Television stations. The channel also operates two spin-off services,Sky News Weather Channel, and public affairs serviceSky News Extra (formerly A-PAC).
The channel was originally a joint venture between British broadcasterBSkyB (thus making it a spin-off of theSky News channel in the United Kingdom),Seven Media Group, andNine Entertainment Co., asAustralian News Channel Pty Ltd. The company was acquired by News Corp Australia in 2016.[5] With the subsequent sale of Murdoch's remaining shares in Sky UK toComcast,[6] Sky News Australia no longer has any direct ties to its UK counterpart, but continues to use the Sky News branding under license from Comcast. News Corp. has explored a rebranding of the network once the licensing agreement with Sky expires.
Especially since the acquisition of the channel by News Corp Australia, Sky News Australia has faced scrutiny from the press over its current focus on conservative opinion programming—including comparisons toRupert Murdoch's American news channelFox News, and accusations that Sky News Australia commentators have promotedmisinformation andconspiracy theories.[7][8]
Sky News Channel's parent company,Australian News Channel (ANC), was owned equally byBritish Sky Broadcasting (now Sky Limited; which is now a division ofComcast),Seven Media Group andNine Entertainment Co., each with a 33% stake in the company from its founding until December 2016, when it was acquired byNews Corp Australia.[9]
Sky News Australia launched at 5 pm[10] on 19 February 1996, as the first Australian-produced television news channel. The channel aired its 50,000th unique newscast on 23 April 2003 at 11 am.[11] Sky News was added to Austar on 1 April 2000.[12]
In 2004, Sky News began broadcasting Sky News Active, its on-demand interactive TV news service.[1] In 2008, Sky News launched theSky News Business Channel, and on 20 January 2009, Sky News launchedAustralian Public Affairs Channel (A-PAC). It began widescreen broadcasting on 17 May 2009.[13] In 2013, Sky News Australia was grantedA$20 million in funding from its parent company to be used over three years.[14]
Sky News Australia began broadcasting inhigh definition on 1 December 2015.[15][16]
In mid-2019, the channel began expanding its digital operations.[17] This included a content partnership with YouTube,Microsoft News, Facebook andTaboola.[18] That led to new, opinion-focused videos being uploaded more frequently and acrossNews Corp platforms, after having previously not uploaded any videos from February 2017 to April 2019.[17]
In February 2018, Sky News Australia launched a digital-first brand and content platform called 2600. The online political newsletter is sent out daily with breaking news from Canberra.[19]
In November 2018, Sky News terminated the contract of former Liberal Party MP and late-night presenterRoss Cameron for usingsinophobic language to describeChinese people.[20]
In July 2024, it was reported that the network would relocate to the News Corp Australia headquarters inSurry Hills in 2025.[21] It was also reported that the network's license to the Sky News brand was expected to expire as early as late-2025, and that Sky Limited was not expected to renew the agreement due to the change in ownership and the divergence in editorial direction between Sky News UK and Sky News Australia. It was reported that News Corp were considering rebranding the network as either "Australian News Channel" or a name containing "Fox News" (derived fromU.S. sister network owned byFox Corporation) or "Talk" (coming fromNews UK brandTalkradio, which operates aspin-off internet television service).[21]
Sky News programming consists of a mix of live news bulletins, live broadcasts from events (such asParliament Question Time and selectedpress conferences), original commentary panel programs and simulcasts of international sister stationSky News UK. Sky News has broadcast every sitting of Question Time from theHouse of Representatives since its launch in 1996.[22]
Sky News Australia increased its primetime programming offerings, particularly its political-themed shows, significantly in 2013, when it made more obvious its right-leaning ideology, ahead of the2013 federal election, cancelling almost entirely the slot's rolling news blockNews Night.[14] It would then regain most of its runtime in 2014. Sky News Australia rebranded itself on 19 January 2015 as "Sky News Live", dropping the "Sky News National" branding.[23]
On weekdays, throughout most of the day, rolling news coverage is presented from one of Sky News Australia's studios. From 5 pm (AEST/AEDT), commentary programs begin, and continue through primetime until 11 pm AEST/AEDT. Most of these programs are presented by conservative commentators discussing the news of the day, often with a panel of other commentators, and feature a news update at the beginning of the program (and sometimes further updates during the program). Rolling news continues from 11 pm AEST/AEDT before coverage switches to an overnight simulcast of Sky News UK at 1 am AEST/AEDT.
Beginning in 2007, Sky News aired local breakaway programming for New Zealand viewers in primetime, filmed atPrime NZ's Auckland studios and produced from Sydney.[24] One of these programs,Prime News – First at 5:30, was also simulcast to Australian viewers.[25] The debut ofSky News NZ Evening News was watched by just 1,500 viewers and panned by critics.[26] Sky News Australia continued to produce news programming for Prime until 2015, whenMediaWorks New Zealand took over production of Prime's news programming via itsown news department.[24] On 16 June 2018, Sky News Australia premieredNew Zealand Agenda, a political program hosted by New Zealand bureau chief James O'Doherty fromWellington, New Zealand.[27]
Nighttime (Sky After Dark)
Sky News Australia has a bureau in every capital city in Australia, completing this with the opening of itsHobart studio in 2013.[14] In 2016, it opened a bureau inCairns, making it the first non-capital city bureau.[44] In 2017, aGold Coast bureau was opened marking the third non-capital city studio after Cairns andGeelong.[45]
The base of Sky News Australia is in the Sydney suburb ofMacquarie Park, from which the majority of its news and programming is broadcast. Its Melbourne studio was upgraded in 2014, allowing it to be used as a secondary broadcast studio.[46]Hinch Live became the first regular program to be broadcast from Melbourne.[47]
The third major bureau is inParliament House, Canberra, opened in 2000.[22] Lyndal Curtis became Bureau Chief of in October 2015.[48] Additionally, Sky News has a small office in the Channel Seven building inMartin Place, which includes a small street-level single camera studio which looks ontoElizabeth Street, Sydney.[49]
Internationally, Sky News's only foreign bureau is inWellington, New Zealand, opened in 2015.[50][51]
Apart from its own resources, at launch Sky News Australia used the news resources of its former parent companiesSeven News,Nine News andSky News UK, as well as sister networks Sky News UK andFox News Channel. ABC America and CBS were founding international partners of Sky News Australia.[52]
In 2010 it had agreements withCCTV China,ABC America,CBS,Reuters,APTN,Bloomberg,Dow Jones andNewshub, when it signed a four-year partnership deal withCNN International, commencing on 1 January 2011.[53]
In 2017, Denis Muller, a senior research fellow at theUniversity of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism, described the channel as having a "split personality", running straight news bulletins and reporting during the day with professional and independent journalists and presenters, while moving toward "right-leaningpunditry" in prime time.[4]
In February 2021, Muller, commenting on former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's statement that Sky News was following a pattern laid down byFox News, described the nighttime programming of Sky News as including "the unconstrained peddling ofextreme right-wing propaganda, lies,disinformation, crude distortion of fact, and baseless assertions".[7]
| This article is part ofa series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
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Principles |
Related topics |
Sky News Australia has an editorial policy that follows a conservative, right-wing bias. Coverage is frequently critical of Australia's main progressive political parties,Labor and theGreens in addition to theModerate Faction ofLiberal Party,[54] while being supportive of right-wing parties such as theLiberal-National Coalition (except for theModerate Faction[55] ) andOne Nation.[2][3] Presenter Paul Murray has stated that "Sky News at night is aLiberal echo chamber".[56] Drawing a strong comparison to Fox News, the network began moving towards panel-based programming from 2010, with most of its highest profile prime time commentators being conservative.[57][58] HostsAndrew Bolt andPaul Murray have been compared to Fox News presentersBill O'Reilly andSean Hannity respectively.[4]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Murdoch-owned outlets—including Sky News Australia commentators—dubbedVictoria premierDaniel Andrews a "dictator" for hislocal response. Andrews criticised the network in an interview, stating that "in Victoria, the haters hate and the rest vote Labor and that's fine by me. Call me what you want, what really matters is not that nonsense, that noise, that vitriol, that [Sky News]After Dark bullshit. That’s all that it is – the worst of American politics imported into ours."[59][60]
Andrew Bolt andAlan Jones frequently spread claims about themental health of then-United States presidentJoe Biden, claiming he was unfit to be the President and suggesting he was suffering from dementia.[61][62]
On 13 December 2020,Rowan Dean promoted theGreat Reset conspiracy theory on Sky News Australia, claiming that "This Great Reset is as serious and dangerous a threat to our prosperity – to your prosperity and your freedom – as we have faced in decades".[8]
As of February 2021,American far-right conspiracy theoristAlex Jones uses segments from Sky News Australia to back up his claims.[8]
In July 2021, Alan Jones andCraig Kelly falsely claimed that United Kingdom data proved that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 would increase the likelihood of death due to COVID-19. The claim originated inThe Daily Exposé, a British website known for promotingCOVID-19 andanti-vaccine misinformation.[63]The Daily Exposé's claim was debunked by theBBC,Full Fact andReuters.[64][65][66] Sky News Australia subsequently removed the broadcast and issued a correction on its website.[63]
On 1 August 2021, YouTube barred Sky News Australia from uploading new content onto their channel for a week for breaking YouTube's rules on posting videos containing COVID-19 misinformation.[67] Upon the channel's return to the platform, Sky News Australia published a piece titled "Uncancelled: Sky News Australia Set Free" wherein Digital Editor Jack Houghton claimed the channel's temporary banning was the result ofSilicon Valley and left-wing media attempting to stifle free speech.[68]
A 2022 analysis by theInstitute for Strategic Dialogue, a British think tank, found that Sky News Australia was a major source forclimate change misinformation. Sky News Australia rejected the findings of the analysis, saying that they would "continue to encouragedebate" onclimate change.[69] In 2022, Sky News Australia promoted a now retracted journal article from theEuropean Physical Journal that claimed to have found no evidence of climate change in two video segments. The two segments were viewed more than 500 000 times.[70][71][72]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(November 2024) |
The highest rating broadcast on Sky News Australia was an episode ofPaul Murray Live on 26 June 2013 (following the2013 Labor leadership spill), averaging 197,000 viewers across a special two-hour broadcast. The highest audience share Sky News Australia has achieved was during coverage of the2009 Victorian bushfires.[73]
On 15 December 2014 during theSydney Lindt café siege, coverage of the unfolding incident took 16 of the 20 most watched programs on the Foxtel platform. The 7 pm (AEST) hour was the highest rated at 109,000 viewers.[74] Sky News achieved a day time share of 2.6% (behind ABC News 24's 3.8%) and a primetime share of 1.5% (behind ABC News 24's 2.5%).[75]
Sky News Live rated 56,000 viewers for early evening coverage of the2015 Queensland state election, and 83,000 viewers for later coverage, beaten byABC News 24's coverage which was watched by 195,000 viewers nationally.[76] For its coverage of thefailed Liberal leadership spill on 9 February 2015 between 9 am and 10 am, Sky News Live was the second most watched subscription channel and the coverage was the third most watched program of the day with 69,000 viewers.[77]
Sky News Live reached a total audience of 700,000 viewers on 14 September 2015 (including simulcast on Sky News Business) during the2015 Liberal leadership spill. It was the most watched subscription television channel for the evening and outrated all free-to-air television channels between 11 pm and midnight AEST.[78] The highest rated hour of coverage was from 10pm, achieving 190,000 viewers, the second highest ratings since the 2013 Labor Party spill.[79][80]
A March 2016 article inThe Guardian Australia reported Sky News averages 12,000 national viewers between 6 pm and midnight, with a peak of 18,000 between 8 pm and 10 pm, although the report did not specify what days or dates this average refers to.[81]
During the2016 federal election, Sky News averaged 96,000 viewers, an increase of 46% from the 2013 election.[82]
In July 2018, Sky News claimed to have achieved its highest ratings on record, with viewership up 9% overall and its weeknight primetime (6pm–11pm) viewership 25% higher on the same period last year, according toOzTAM figures.[83][84]
In August 2018, coverage of theLiberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018 saw Sky News gain its highest Tuesday primetime audience ever with a 4.2% audience share.Speers,Credlin andJones & Co all had their highest-rated episodes on record.[85]
In August 2018, Sky News was heavily criticised for providing a platform toBlair Cottrell, leader of thefar-right,Neo-Nazi organisationUnited Patriots Front in a one-to-one discussion about immigration onTheAdam Giles Show. Sky News presenterLaura Jayes and ABC journalistDavid Speers were among those critical (both on-air and off-air) of his appearance on the programme due to the fact that he has expressed admiration forAdolf Hitler and claimed to have manipulated women "using violence and terror."[86][87] Sky News commentator and former Labor Party ministerCraig Emerson resigned in protest after the interview was broadcast, stating that "My father fought Nazis in WWII and was interred in a German POW camp", and that the decision to give Cottrell a platform on Sky News was "another step in a journey to normalising racism & bigotry in our country".[86] The activist groupSleeping Giants Oz called on advertisers to pull advertising campaigns off Sky News in the wake of the channel's interview with Cottrell.[88][89]
Several high-profile figures have criticised Sky News, including formerprime ministerKevin Rudd, who told a media inquiry in February 2021 that it was following the "template" of Fox News in becoming a "legitimising echo-chamber for this increasingly far-right, extremist worldview".[90] In December 2023, former Victorian premierDaniel Andrews, who was a frequent target of scorn from Sky News pundits during his premiership, referred to the channel's after dark coverage as "bullshit" and "the worst of American politics imported into ours".[91]
| List of accolades | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| 2007 | 2007 ASTRA Awards | Most outstanding performance by a presenter | David Speers | Won |
| Most Creative Use of Technology | Anytime, Anywhere | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | Logie Awards of 2008 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | Federal Election | Nominated |
| 2008 ASTRA Awards | Most outstanding performance by a presenter | David Speers | Won | |
| Most outstanding performance by a broadcast journalist | Kieran Gilbert | Won | ||
| Mike Willesee | Nominated | |||
| Most outstanding performance by a presenter | Hellen Dalley | Nominated | ||
| Channel of the year | Sky News Australia | Nominated | ||
| Favourite male personality | James Bracey | Nominated | ||
| David Speers | Nominated | |||
| Favourite female personality | Helen Dalley | Nominated | ||
| Brooke Corte | Nominated | |||
| Most Outstanding News Program or Coverage | APEC 2007 | Won | ||
| 2009 | 2009 ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist | David Speers | Won |
| Favourite male personality | Kieran Gilbert | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Logie Awards of 2010 | Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report | Liberal Leadership Meltdown | Nominated |
| 2010 ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist | Kieran Gilbert | Won | |
| 2011 | Logie Awards of 2011 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | Election 2010 | Nominated |
| 2011 ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist | Ashleigh Gillon | Won | |
| Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter | David Speers | Won | ||
| Most Outstanding News Program or Coverage | Election 2010 | Won | ||
| 2012 | Logie Awards of 2012 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | Qantas Grounded | Nominated |
| 2012 ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter | David Speers | Won | |
| 2013 | Logie Awards of 2013 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | Rudd Vs Gillard Leadership Challenge | Nominated |
| 2013 ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist | Ahron Young | Won | |
| Favourite personality – male | Paul Murray | Nominated | ||
| Favourite Programme Australian | Paul Murray Live | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Logie Awards of 2014 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | Leadership Spill | Nominated |
| 2014 ASTRA Awards | Channel of the year | Sky News National | Nominated | |
| Favourite personality – male | Paul Murray | Nominated | ||
| Favourite personality – female | Laura Jayes | Nominated | ||
| Favourite program: Australian | Paul Murray Live | Nominated | ||
| Most Outstanding News Program | Election 2013 coverage | Won | ||
| Paul Murray Live | Nominated | |||
| Most Outstanding performance by a broadcast journalist | Kieran Gilbert | Nominated | ||
| Ahron Young | Nominated | |||
| Daniel Bourchier | Nominated | |||
| David Speers | Won | |||
| 2015 | Logie Awards of 2015 | Most Outstanding News Coverage | What Is Metadata? | Nominated |
| 2015 ASTRA Awards[92] | Channel of the year | Sky News National | Won | |
| Most Outstanding Presenter – Male | Paul Murray | Won | ||
| Most Outstanding Presenter – Female | Nina Stevens | Nominated | ||
| Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist | David Speers | Won | ||
| Kieran Gilbert | Nominated | |||
| Celina Edmonds | Nominated | |||
| Ahron Young | Nominated | |||
| Most Outstanding News Program | Paul Murray Live | Won | ||
| PM Agenda | Nominated | |||
| Richo + Jones | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Logie Awards of 2016 | Most Outstanding News Coverage[93] | Liberal Leadership Crisis: Abbott V Turnbull | Nominated |
| ASTRA Industry Awards | Most Outstanding Innovation (use of technology)[94] | LiveU SmartGRIP | Nominated | |
| Walkley Awards | Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue[95] | 2016 Election coverage | Won | |
| 6th AACTA Awards | Subscription Television Award For Best Live Event Production[96] | 2016 Election Coverage | Nominated | |
| Subscription Television Award For Best Male Presenter[96] | David Speers | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Logie Awards of 2017 | Most Outstanding News Coverage[97] | 2016 Election coverage | Won |
| 2021 | Kennedy Awards | Journalist of the Year[98] | Sharri Markson | Nominated |
| Outstanding TV News Reporting[98] | Kieran Gilbert and Andrew Clennell | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Nightly Current Affairs[98] | Sharri Markson | Won | ||
| Outstanding Long Form Current Affairs[98] | Peta Credlin | Won | ||
| 2023 | NT Media Awards | NT Journalist of the Year[99] | Matt Cunningham | Won |
| Best News Coverage x 2[99] | Matt Cunningham | Won | ||
| Best Current Affairs or Feature[99] | Matt Cunningham | Won | ||
| Best Crime / Court Reporting[99] | Matt Cunningham | Won | ||
| Kennedy Awards | ThePaul Lockyer Award for Regional Broadcast Reporting[100] | Matt Cunningham | Won | |
| Queensland Clarion Awards | Broadcast Report[101] | Jonathan Lea | Won | |
Sky News began broadcasting inwidescreen, along with its sister channels on 17 May 2009.[13] Sky News Australia only providesclosed captioning between 4 pm and 5 pm (AEST/AEDT) each day.[102]
Sky News began broadcasting in high definition on 1 December 2015.[15]
With the roll-out ofFoxtel Digital, Sky News Australia launched theSky News Active interactive news service based on the Sky News UK service with the same name. The service offered a choice of eight news screens, some with original content not seen on the main channel they vary depending on the days news or events and include the latest news, business, sport, showbiz and weather in text. Other features included interactive polling and the latest news headlines via text. On 15 November 2009 Sky News active re-launched with a new look as well as 5 additional local screens (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.[103]
Sky News Now was a mobile service available onVodafone,Telstra and3. It offered a wide variety of news in both video and text.[104] As of 2015, the service was no longer available.
Sky News Alerts is a SMS andMMS breaking news service available on all mobile phones inside Australia.[105] Breaking news alerts are sent to a subscriber via SMS or MMS at a cost per message.[106]
In November 2014, Sky News Australia was contracted to provideQantas with in-flight news bulletins replacing a longstanding contract with theNine Network.[107]
In Australia, since June 2023, Sky News partners withNova Entertainment to offer an audio simulcast of its television channel via the freeNova Player app (nationally) and DAB+ digital radio (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane only). Various programs podcasts including First Business, Market Day, Showbiz, Agenda, Australian News Week, Credlin and The Rita Panahi Show are also available on the app.[108] Previously, it was onIHeartRadio from March 2020 until June 2023, as part of a deal withARN.[109]
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Regional QLD,Northern NSW & Gold Coast,Southern NSW & ACT,Regional VIC |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 576iSDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Australian News Channel (News Corp Australia) |
| Sister channels | Sky News Australia Sky News Weather Channel Sky News Extra |
| History | |
| Launched | 2 September 2018; 6 years ago (2018-09-02) |
| Replaced | Aspire TV (in SCA areas) |
| Replaced by | 9Life (in most WIN areas) |
| Former names | Sky News on WIN (2018-2021) |
| Links | |
| Website | skynews |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| SCA | Channel 56 |
| WIN Television | Channel 53 (Gold Coast QLD) (Northern NSW) |
Sky News Regional (formerlySky News on WIN) is afree-to-air version of Sky News Australia, which was launched on 2 September 2018. The channel features Sky News Australia andFox Sports News programming, as well as the morning newscastSky News Breakfast commissioned for this channel that also airs on Sky News Weather.[110][111] The channel was originally established as part of a partnership withWIN Television.[112][113] In 2021, WIN's contracts with both Network 10 and Sky News expired; with WIN returning to its previous Nine Network affiliation on 1 July 2021, and Sky News's contract expiring on 1 August 2021 (the allotments were, in turn, used for9Life).[113] Sky News reached a new agreement withSouthern Cross Austereo to distribute the channel on theirnow Network 10-affiliated stations, now known as Sky News Regional.[113][112]
In its first two weeks on the air, the channel averaged 10,000 viewers in primetime and 4,000 viewers in daytime, withRicho the highest rated program at 24,000 viewers.[114]
The channel is available on digital channel 56 across Southern Cross Austereo's regional markets inRegional QLD,Southern NSW & ACT andRegional VIC, and on WIN digital channel 53 inNorthern NSW and the Gold Coast.[115] It is not available inBroken Hill/Spencer Gulf,Tasmania,Mildura,Darwin,Remote & Central Australia andRegional WA. Mildura, Tasmania, and Regional Western Australia previously broadcast the channel asSky News on WIN on the WIN network until August 2021 when it switched to 9Life's feed. The channel was previously on WIN digital channels 83 and 85, prior to the rebrand as Sky News Regional on 1 August 2021.
Sky News Regional ended its broadcast on channel 53 inGriffith andSouth-East South Australia on 30 June 2024 after an unsuccessful renewal of the affiliation agreement with WIN.[116][117]
In April 2016, Sky News Australia announced a temporary spin-off channel known as theSky News Election Channel. The channel carried extended coverage of theAustralian federal election, theUnited Kingdom referendum on remaining in the European Union, andUnited States presidential election, including coverage and programming from partners such as Sky News UK,ABC News (United States),CBS News,CNN,C-SPAN, andFox News, as well as encore showings of Sky News Australia opinion programmes. The channel temporarily replaced A-PAC on Foxtel; A-PAC remained available on Sky News Multiview.[118][119][120] It operated from 1 May 2016[119] to 23 January 2017.[121]
On 28 June 2024, the Sky News Election Channel was revived, focusing upon coverage of the 2024United Kingdom general election,French legislative election, andUnited States presidential elections, and the2025 Australian federal election. The channel once again replaced Sky News Extra on Foxtel.[122]
On 23 March 2023, the network launched afree ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel onSamsung TV Plus known asSky News Now; the channel features highlighted content from Sky News, Sky News Weather Channel, and Sky News Extra.[123][124]
In News you have a very politically motivated news outlet –online, print, free to air and subscription. All of this is building a very strong right-wing media. It is an appalling vision of the future.
The Murdoch family took full control of Sky News Australia in 2016, through the local arm of News Corp.
