Vol. No. Vol. 2218No. 41 27
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A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, January 13, 2020 2016 Wednesday, April 22,
ANZAC SPIRIT: Anzac Day will look different this year, with public commemorations cancelled to help stem the COVID-19 threat. Instead, leaders have urged community members to pay their respects to the country’s servicemen and women from the front of their properties. Dimboola’s Ian Lehmann, pictured, will play the Last Post for the 35th year on Saturday. Instead of doing it at a dawn service, however, he will sound out the revered tune from his front gate. Horsham RSL leaders have also encouraged Wimmera people to pay their respects at home and ‘light up the dawn’. For more, see pages 4 and 5. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Standing firm A Special Anzac Day poster INSIDE TODAY
BY DEAN LAWSON
CE Radio Broadcasters have vowed to maintain highquality commercial newspaper and radio services across the region despite the COVID-19 lockdown ripping through the profitability of the regional media industry. Ace Radio Horsham general manager Brendan O’Loughlin said The Weekly Advertiser and radio stations 3WM and MIXX FM would stand their ground and work shoulder-toshoulder with readers, listeners, business partners and the overall community in navigating through the crisis. He said the same applied for all
ACE network markets, where the organisation had for many years proudly championed regional communities and business operators. “A common catch-cry is that ‘we’re in this together’ and in our case, it is something we don’t say lightly. Of course we’re in this together – from everyday people and families to businesses, industry and the media, which plays such an essential role under such circumstances,” he said. Mr O’Loughlin made the profound declaration as print-production of historic Victorian regional pillar newspapers, including The Wimmera MailTimes, Stawell Times-News and The Ararat Advertiser came to a grinding
halt. The three newspapers were victims of a decision by parent company Australian Community Media, ACM, based on business downturn, to suspend several non-daily regional media outlets across the country. The future of the newspapers, among more than 160 publications across regional Australia, and their staff remains unclear. While satellite and town-based newspapers continue to operate across the region, suspension of the three ACM mastheads leaves The Weekly Advertiser as the only publication providing news and advertising opportunities for much of western Victoria.
Distribution of The Weekly Advertiser stretches from south of Ararat district to the South Australian border. The Weekly Advertiser, which also has online and social-media platforms, operates in partnership with 3WM and MIXX FM, which have a similar regional footprint. ACE chief executive Mark Taylor said the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians could ill-afford to continue through and successfully emerge from such oppressive socio-economic circumstances without a confident commercial media umbrella leading the way. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Empathy key in crisis • Call for kindness to COVID-19 cases • Students rise to challenge
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