Sky News Regional to be launched on August 1

A regional channel from Sky News will be broadcast on free-to-air TV across Australia.

Peta Credlin said she was looking forward to sharing more regional news stories to Australia when Sky News launches its new program on Sunday. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

Sky News Regional will be broadcast on free-to-air TV across Australia from Sunday.

A new partnership between Sky News, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and the Win Network will mean viewers in parts of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia will have access to real news and honest views from August 1.

The program will include live breaking news, weather, national affairs and sport from Sky News Australia and the Fox Sports News team.

AM Agenda and Afternoon Agenda as well as popular evening shows Credlin and Alan Jones will also be available.

Peta Credlin, who will host her show Credlin, said it was an opportunity to share regional stories.

Ms Credlin, who was chief of staff to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, grew up in Wycheproof — a small country town in Victoria.

“On my show I try to give a distinction to the challenges different areas are facing,” she said.

“The more you have an eye to regional communities the more you will be educating people living in urban areas.

“There is the ideas regional places of Australia are all similar but they’ve all got different stories to tell and we want to share those.”

The new program will also include a new live breakfast program Sky News Breakfast from 6am every weekday, the Bolt Report from 7pm Monday to Thursday and the two hours of Paul Murray Live from 9pm Monday to Thursday.

Sky News Australia chief executive Paul Whittaker said Australians’ demand for credible, live and accurate information had never been greater.

“And I am pleased we can continue to provide regional viewers with access to our quality news, weather, sport and analysis from Australia’s best commentators on our new channel,” Mr Whittaker said.

“We’ve listened to our regional audiences and adjusted the programming schedule to reflect their feedback, which includes our new live breakfast program, Sky News Breakfast, the return and live broadcast of The Bolt Report, plus more of Paul Murray Live and the continuation of its regional Our Town series which puts a spotlight on a different regional town each month.”

Channel 53 (Win Network)

Northern NSW: Gold Coast (QLD), Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, Wyong, Singleton, Tamworth, Gunnedah.

NSW Riverina: Griffith, Leeton, Hay, Hillston.

South Australia: Renmark, Pinnaroo, Bordertown, Mount Gambier.

Channel 56 (SCA Network)

Queensland: Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba.

Southern NSW: Woollongong, South Coast, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Dubbo.

ACT: Canberra.

Victoria: Albury, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland, Shepparton.