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 Timeline & History

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"Television 'arrived' in New Zealand last night. The event: First live presentations and official programme on channel 2, Auckland. The verdict: A dignified, successful entry. This was a slick and thoroughly professional TV production - a contrast with some experimental Monday night television presented here."

'Auckland Star'  newspaper - 2 June 1960  

 

 1960's 

 

 

 

 1 June, 1960

New Zealand’s official Television transmission on Auckland regional station AKTV-2 begins at 7.30pm with a 2 & 1/2 hour opening show. The first show to appear was 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', plus among the first live local performances were 'The Howard Morrison Quartet'.  Other programmes to appear on TV's opening night, the first live local item 'On The Doorstep', in which Ian Watkins interviews English ballerina Beryl Grey.  Then another imported programme from the USA, The Malls of Ivy.  A British documentary called Your Children's Eyes and then the final show for the night - Four  Just men, an episode from an American adaptation of the Edgar Wallace novel. 

 August, 1960

Television licences were introduced, costing 4 pounds 

 October, 1960

Television transmissions are extended to 5 nights a week

 25 Dec, 1960

The Queen's Message is first broadcasted on TV 

 1961

Television advertising was introduced

April, 1961 

Commercial Television begins on AKTV-2 

1 June, 1961 

Official TV transmissions begin from Christchurch 

1 July, 1961 

Official TV transmissions begin from Wellington 

1962 

The talent show Have A Shot begins 

March, 1962 

Daily News Bulletin is added to the service 

1 April, 1962 

The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation comes into existence 

31 July, 1962 

Official TV transmissions begin from Dunedin 

12 Oct, 1962 

Angela D'Audney begins her 40 year career in Television on AKTV 2 in Auckland as a Continuity Announcer. And becomes NZ TV's first lady of TV 

1963

A pop music show Let's Go begins 

 

TV's first locally produced drama screens, Alfred Flett's All Earth To Love 

May, 1964 

What would become New Zealand's longest running overseas show of any kind debuted.  The night-time British drama Coronation Street began, and to this day is still rated in the Top 10 shows of the week. It has never been out of the primetime line-up. 

1965 

The amount of Television licences issued reached 300,000, and the four television stations were broadcasting for 7 nights a week at a total of 50 hours 

 

Graham Kerr becomes the first tv chef 

6 March, 1966 

The New Zealand Rural/farming show Country Calendar begins it's life as New Zealand’s longest running local show, making its first broadcast at 7.15pm on 6 March 1966 and is hosted by Fred Barnes. It was broadcasted on the Sunday nights for fifteen minutes. In 1988 the show was extended to 1/2 an hour. In 1996 it was extended to 1 hour, but the following year it was back to a 1/2 hour show. In 2001 the show was one of the first TV shows to be screened in the new Wide-screen format. 

November, 1966 

C'mon the most famous NZ pop music show of the 60's screens, and is hosted by the late Peter Sinclair, and has launch the career of many local musical artists.  

July, 1969  

The moon landing is broadcasted but it was delay by a few hours 

November, 1969 

The Network News was first broadcasted, presented by Dougal Stevenson 

 

 

1970's 

 

 

 

1971 

The drama Pukemanu begins

 

The Warkworth Satellite Station is opened, providing more upto date news coverage 

Sept, 1972 

First live All Black rugby game, commentated by Keith Quinn 

1973 

Angela D'Audney bcomes the first woman to reader the news on tv 

 

Spot On, a kids magazine show begins its 15 year run. 

 

The royal wedding of Princess Anne to Mark Phillips becaomes the first live international broadcast 

 

Television hours are reduced to conserve energy 

31 Oct, 1973 

Colour Television transmissions begin 

December, 1973 

The character of Fred Dagg (played by John Clarke) is introduced to NZ viewers 

1974 

The Christchurch Commonwealth Games Screen on TV One. Due to size of the event, the coverage was broadcasted in both colour and black&white. 

 

the talent show New Faces begins 

February, 1974 

Colour Television introduced nation-wide 

1975 

Ready to Roll, starts, and becomes NZ longest running music chart show. First screening on TV-1 on Saturday night at 6pm 

March, 1975 

the Avalon Television Centre is opened 

1 April, 1975 

Television one.jpg (659 bytes) begins 

May, 1975 

The local night-time soap opera Close to Home begins as NZ first twice weekly soap. It is modelled after the UK soap Coronation Street

30 June, 1975 

TV-2 begins in Auckland and Christchurch, bring completion for the first time. The following weekend, the first Telethon is broadcast raising half a million dollars for St John’s Ambulance.  

1976 

The popular 70's challenge show, Top Town begins, hosted by Howard Morrison, and Paddy O'Donnell 

1977 

The Comedy satire series A Week Of It begins launching the carrers of Jon Gadsby and David MacPhail 

7 April, 1977 

The second longest running local show, the consumer watchdog show Fair Go, is broadcast Live for the first time 

1979 

Peter Sinclair comperes the long running brain-buster quiz show Mastermind for the first time 

 

The character of Lynn of Tawa (Ginette McDonald) is introduced for the first time 

Billy T James first appears on TV in Radio Times 

 

 

1980's 

 

 

 

15 Feb, 1980 

South Pacific Television (TV2), Ends with a two hour farewell show at 10pm.

16 Feb, 1980 

Television New Zealand is created, combining both TV One & TV2, under one company 

1981 

Landmarks, a classic 10-part documentary series about NZ debuts. 

 

The police drama Mortimer's Patch begins 

Sitcom Gliding On begins 

May, 1981 

The long running kids morning weekend show What Now? begins on TV One 

1982 

The first attempt at private Television begins with a 2 hour magazine show from 10am to Noon on TV One with the short-lived Good Morning show. 

February, 1983 

Te Karere, the long running Maori news programme begins on TV2 at 5.55pm (4 minutes), but by the 1990's was extended to between 10-20 minutes on TV One. 

September, 1983 

Close to Home Ends after 8 years and 818 episodes 

February, 1984 

Teletext is introduced 

1 June, 1985 

TV One broadcasts a 3 & 1/2 show celebrating 25 years of TV, 7.30pm 

1986 

The first attempt to broadcast 24 hours on weekends is scrapped at the last minute dew to a recording industry strike 

1987 

The fashion drama Gloss begins its 3 year run on TV2 

February, 1987 

The Judy Bailey/Richard Long news readering partnership on the TV One news begins 

1 July, 1988 

Commercial TV goes 7 days a week, expect Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day 

25 Dec, 1988 

Spot On ends after 15 years with a special ‘This is your life’ show 

1989 

TVNZ appoints its first foreign correspondents Susan Wood and Liam Jeory 

 

the funding agency NZ on Air is formed 

 

The Broadcasting Standards Authority is formed 

3 April, 1989 

One Network News moves to 6pm timeslot from today. Holmes, a current affairs show hosted by Paul Holmes, begins it's long run at 6.30pm with the famous Dennis Conner interview. and at 7pm the new game show Sale of the Century debuts. 

26 Nov, 1989 

After ten years private television arrives in this country in the form of TV3.  The channel begins with a two hour opening show previewing the channel's up-coming programmes 

 

 

1990's 

 

 

 

1990 

TVNZ becomes a State Owned Enterprise 

5 Feb, 1990 

The TVNZ Television centre in Auckland is opened by Queen Elizabeth II 

May, 1990 

SKY TV, the first pay television network in this country begins. The first choice of channels on offer are CNN, HBO, and a sports channel. 

1991 

24 hour weekend television on Tv2 begins 

 

Can-west take over ownership of TV3 

May, 1992 

The defunct music channel, Max TV channel begins in Auckland. 

25 May, 1992 

The first attempt at a five night a week soap opera Shortland Street begins at 7pm on TV2 

August, 1992 

RTR Countdown (Ready to Roll) ends it’s 17 year series on TV2 

19 Oct, 1994 

The last screening of the Goodnight Kiwi as tv2 goes 24/7 

20 Oct, 1994 

TV2 begins 24 hour broadcasting 7 days a week 

Feb, 1995 

TV One begins 24 hour broadcasting 7 days a week, TV One News goes for 1 hour, 7 days a week.and also introduces BBC World overnight 

March, 1995 

Horizon TV (4 regional channels) begins. 

1996 

The 10,000th One Network News is Broadcasted 

July 1996 

Tv One introduces brand new logo on the same day as the Atlanta Olympics begin 

29 June, 1997 

The TV3's second private channel TV4 begins with ear-biting Boxing live at 1pm 

3 July, 1997 

MTV Europe begins broadcasting replacing Horizon TV,  lasting 11 months, and is the only free to air MTV in the world 

1998 

Auckland's Public Access channel Triangle TV begins 

June, 1998 

The Good Morning Show is first cyber-casted on the Internet, and thats a NZ first 

30 Aug, 1998 

Prime TV begins at 6.30pm, first with 'The Two Fat Ladies' 

31 Dec, 1999

TV One, broadcasts a record-breaking thirty hour Millennium show ‘One New Zealand Challenge’, capturing New Zealand at the start of the new century. and One Network News is renamed simply One News 

 

 

2000's 

 

 

 

5 Feb, 2000 

Ready to Roll is reborn as RTR 2000, on Saturday night at 6pm on TV2 and continues screening till December 2003.

2 June, 2000 

Shortland Street celebrates it's 2000th Episode. 

5 June, 2000 

‘one turns 40’, a two hour Documentary on 40 years of TV One, screens at 8.30pm  

July, 2000 

The Licece fee is abolished 

8 Aug, 2001 

Peter Sinclair, a favourite icon on New Zealand television, died this morning, he was 62.  (pictures below) 

       

'C'mon', 1968                Peter, 2001

6 Feb, 2002 

Angela D'Audney, New Zealand's first woman of broadcasting dies of a Brain Tumour, she was 57.  Her Career in Television spanned four decades, with her first appearance being on 12 October 1962.  Her last official television appearance hosting a show was in May 2001, as the fill-in host of the Good Morning show. (pictures below)

           

    Angela, AKTV 2, 1962                         'Today Live', June 2001

3 March, 2002 

Prime TV is re-launched after going into partnership with Channel Nine Australia. 

3 April, 2002

Fair Go celebrates 25 years on Television with a special 1 hour show 

25 May, 2002 

Shortland Street celebrates 10 years on the air, and is New Zealand's longest drama series. 

March, 2003 

The TVNZ charter comes in affect, with lots of changes to come ahead 

4 Oct, 2003 

TV4 is re-launched as a music channel called C4, with a Top 100 Videos of all time show 

19 Dec, 2003 

The Judy Bailey/Richard Long news readering partnership on the TV One news ends, as well as April Iremeria the 6pm One News sports presenter finishes after 10 years 

23 Dec, 2003 

Jim Hickey presents his last weather report on TV One News after 16 years 

February 2004 New Zealand Idol begins and runs till May

28 March, 2004 

Maori Television begins daily transmissions at 6am with a 5 hour live launch show from its tv studios, inside and outside, plus a sampling of its programmes. 

2 April, 2004 

Current Affairs show Holmes celebrates 15 years on air with a 1/2 hour special look back at 7pm tonight 

29 May, 2004 

National Anthem, a 24 hours live New Zealand music concert celebrating NZ Music month airs on TV2 from 7pm, and is broadcasted from the four main centres

June, 2004  Shortland Street airs it's 3000th Episode.     

16 Oct, 2004 

C4 Celebrates it's 1st Birthday with a party at the St James in Auckland, and asks viewers to send them a birthday card for a chance to win tickets to see top new zealand music acts live at the party.

    

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