connection to their strong relations with the metropolitan stations of the Seven Network. Their news bulletins were quickly renamed as GWN7 News and Prime7 News. These bulletins were relaunched on 16 January 2011 at 5:57pm. Digital transmitter upgrades continued on 28 July 2011, with Bunbury and surrounds being introduced to the full suite of digital channels for the first time, including 7two and 7mate. On 30 July 2011, the regional networks began broadcasting on the Viewer Access Satellite Television platform. On 12 February 2018, GWN7's master control facilities (transmission and technical operations) were transferred to Prime Media's national playout centre in Canberra, with the WA facilities beamed through satellite and microwave links. Playout of GWN7's programming was later transferred to Mediahub located at Sydney's suburb of Ingleburn (which houses playout for ABC Television and WIN Television), before once again transferred to a facility operated by Australia's telco provider Telstra (shared with hybrid-funded broadcaster SBS Television). 2021: Merger with Seven On 1 November 2021, Seven West Media announced that it would acquire all the shares and subsidiaries of Prime Media Group. This was SWM's second attempt at purchasing Prime Media, after its previous attempt in 2019 was thwarted by Australian Community Media boss Antony Catalano and rival WIN Corporation owner Bruce Gordon, citing Seven's debt problems at the time and its poor ratings performance as the reason for their refusal. Prime shareholders approved the deal on 23 December, with the sale completed on 31 December. This development would mark an end to the GWN brand name after 33 years in favour of Seven Network's branding and would see its statewide news service carrying the Seven News brand. Prior to this, GWN (alongside its sister Prime) was the only commercial network affiliate not carrying full metro network branding across promotions and programming, in contrast to WOW's owner WIN which carries the Nine Network branding full-time since its return to carrying Nine's programming in 2021. On 23 May 2022, Seven West Media announced that the current branding of GWN7 will be unified into Seven Network branding across the station including for GWN7 Local News officially remains as retiring the GWN7 name. On 25 July 2022, the GWN7 brand was retired. Programming Since becoming a full Seven affiliate, GWN7's on-air schedule had become almost identical to that of its metropolitan counterpart, TVW in Perth. Seven News Perth was aired live across the network direct