Nine Entertainment is under fire for its handling of dozens of jobs losses in regional areas

Nine Entertainment has been criticised for ‘exceptionally poor’ communication after sacking dozens of staff across regional Australia.

TV reporters and cameramen are among more than 60 staff whose jobs will be cut when the media company’s broadcast deal with Southern Cross Austereo ends on June 30. Picture: AFP

Nine Entertainment has been criticised for “exceptionally poor” communication after sacking dozens of staff across regional Australia and leaving many in limbo about their departures.

TV reporters and cameramen are among more than 60 staff whose jobs will be cut when the media company’s broadcast deal with Southern Cross Austereo ends on June 30.

Nine is instead reigniting its long-term relationship with Bruce Gordon’s WIN TV.

On March 12, Nine chief executive Hugh Marks, who has since left the business, said statewide news bulletins for regional areas were expected to be aired until June 30 before Nine ­jumped ship under the new deal, which will last seven years.

But many Nine reporters working in the regions along the nation’s east coast have already started a desperate scramble to find employment, while others have already departed.

“Most people are casting their net and finding other jobs and have been hunting since March when the news first broke,” one regional Nine reporter said.

One insider said many staff were extremely upset and had been left in limbo, not knowing whether they still had a job with Nine, would be given a redundancy, or would be offered help to find work elsewhere.

“There’s people in tears that are leaving, they know they’re leaving but they don’t know when, how, or if they are going to get offered another job,” the source said.

“The communication has been exceptionally poor.”

Former NIne CEO Hugh Marks. Picture: Getty Images

Under existing arrangements, Nine airs 30-minute country news bulletins across 20 areas in regional Queensland, southern NSW and Victoria at 5.30pm daily, before the 6pm state bulletins.

Mr Marks said in March he knew many jobs would be affected by the change of partnership for regional TV.

“We are aware that there will be some roles impacted as a result of this change but those impacted can be assured that director of news and current affairs Darren Wick and his team are actively looking at options for redeployment for as many employees as possible,” Mr Marks said in an email at the time.

The regional services are run out of SCA network offices in regions outside of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

Nine’s regional bulletins are expected to be dumped in the areas where WIN television news operates.

SCA’s new affiliation with Ten is yet to be finalised, so it is unclear if those who lost jobs at Nine might find a new home at Ten.

Nine was contacted for comment but did not provide a statement.

SCA also declined to comment.