But couldn’t they run some filler? Like a movie or replay of something else?
It was before the traditional start of broadcast time and I think that was at the time regulated or at least a deliberate choice not to broadcast until mid morning - But I can’t really explain this one.
There was a tradition of early morning replays before re-closedown but having said that the 1981 FA Cup final was the weekend previous (not overnight)
1 Like
That just seems like a waste to me. But then again, that’s me. I was -3 years old at the time. 
1 Like
Today’s TV: Tuesday 22 May 1984
from the NZ Listener
TV One
11.30am Play School (Rpt)
11.55 You and Your Child
Noon News
12.05 The Young and the Restless
12.55 See Here
1.00 Beauty and the Beast
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.25 You and Your Child (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
2.30 Play School (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
2.55 Sesame Street (Rpt)
3.55 After School, including (all times approx):
3.55 Pinocchio
4.00 Walt Disney’s Mickey and Donald
4.30 Video Dispatch
5.00 The Ghosts of Motley Hall
5.30 Shazam!
East Coast viewers only - Te Karere (5.55-6pm)
6.00 M-A-S-H (Rpt)
6.30 News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Child’s Play (Final)
8.00 Pacemakers (Starting tonight, part 1)
8.30 Reilly, Ace of Spies
9.30 Are You Being Served?
10.00 The Yellow Rose
11.05 News
11.10 Closedown
TV2
2.30pm Prisoner
3.25 General Hospital
3.50 Little House on the Prairie
4.50 Animals, Animals, Animals
5.15 That Girl (Rpt)
5.45 News
5.55 Te Karere
On TV2 everywhere - except East Coast viewers (TV One)
6.00 The Young Doctors
6.30 The Sullivans (Double episode)
7.30 Scarecrow and Mrs King
8.30 Tuesday Documentary - The King?
9.30 Eye Witness News
10.00 Kiri Te Kanawa
11.00 Hawaii Five-O
11.55 Closedown
Today’s TV: Sunday 22 May 1994
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
6.00am One World of Sport - Cricket (Continued)
England v NZ - second ODI; live from Lord’s, London
6.45 One World of Sport - The Whitbread Report
1993/94 Whitbread Round the World Race - leg six; live from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8.00 Tomorrow’s World (G)
8.30 eTV - Asia Dynamic (G)
9.00 Praise Be (G)
9.30 Tagata Pasifika (G)
10.00 Waka Huia (G)
11.00 Marae (G)
Noon One World of Sport - Cricket
England v NZ - second ODI; highlights
1.00 One World of Sport - Countrywide Bank Grandstand
Includes the Smokefree Sports Series, rugby (All Black trial - live from Gisborne) and rugby league (Bluebird Kiwi League - Auckland City Vulcans v Hutt Valley Firehawks)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Frontline
7.30 Barrymore (PGR)
8.35 Montana Sunday Theatre - You, Me and It (Starting tonight, part 1)
9.35 Fraser
10.35 Sunday Night Clive
11.35 Movie - The Cruel Sea (“Bas Ya Bahar”) (1971) (Rpt, PGR)
An Arabic film with English subtitles
1.20am Closedown
Channel 2
6.00am Movie - The Young Magician (Continued)
6.30 Captain Zed and the Zee Zone (G)
6.50 Saban’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (G)
7.15 Quick Draw McGraw (Rpt, G)
7.35 Madeline (G)
8.00 The Legend of White Fang (G)
8.25 SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (G)
8.45 King Arthur and the Knights of Justice (G)
9.10 Ghostwriter (G)
9.40 Oi (G)
10.05 Pepsi RTR Showdown (G)
11.10 Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (PGR)
11.35 The Best of the Worst (G)
Noon EastEnders (Double episode) (G)
1.10 Sunday Cinema - Honkytonk Man (1982) (Rpt, PGR)
3.30 The Making of “Intersection”
4.00 Harry and the Hendersons (G)
4.30 Rugrats (Rpt, G)
5.00 Banjo Paterson’s The Man from Snowy River (G)
6.00 Doogie Howser MD (G)
6.30 Stars in Their Eyes (Rpt, G)
7.00 Dave’s World (G)
7.30 60 Minutes
8.30 The Sunday Premiere Movie - Goldfinger (1964) (Rpt, PGR)
10.40 Lion Red Aussie League on 2
NSWRL/Winfield Cup 1994 - Gold Coast Chargers v Newcastle Knights; full delayed coverage
12.35am Closedown
TV3
6.30am Music and the Spoken Word (G)
7.00 Swordfish (G)
7.30 You and Me (G)
7.55 Aunties Alphabet (G)
8.00 Tiki Tiki Forest Gang (G)
8.30 The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show (G)
9.00 Lifespan Infocus (PGR)
9.50 Graham Kerr’s Kitchen (G)
10.20 Wildlife Tales (Rpt, G)
11.10 Expedition Earth (G)
Noon The Magical World of Disney (Movie) - Those Calloways (1965) (G)
2.55 The Carol Burnett Show (Starting today) (G)
4.00 Land of the Giants (G)
5.00 Lost in Space (B&W) (G)
6.00 3 National News
6.30 Heartbreak High (G)
7.30 Melrose Place (PGR)
8.30 Sunday Night at the Movies - Not Without My Daughter (1991) (AO)
11.00 Entertainment Tonight (PGR)
12.00am Late Movie - The Appointment (1982) (AO)
1.55 (approx) Closedown
Sky Movies (HBO)
6.00am Saludos Amigos (1943) (G)
6.45 The Emperor’s New Clothes (1994) (G)
7.40 The Making of “My Girl 2”
8.00 Don’t Tell Her It’s Me (1990) (GA)
9.45 Hamlet (1991) (GA)
Noon Nostalgia at Noon - The Lady from Shanghai (1947) (B&W) (GA)
1.30 Queen of Hearts (1989) (GA)
3.30 The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1981) (G)
5.00 The Five Heartbeats (1991) (GA)
7.00 HBO Sunday Night Movie - The Player (1992) (GA)
9.00 Working Girl (1988) (GA)
11.00 A Mother’s Justice (1992) (RP16)
12.35am Inside Out (R18)
1.02 Closedown
Canterbury Television (CTV), Christchurch
6.00am Welcome to Canterbury
This programme repeats at 7am, 8am and 9am
5.00pm Farming Canterbury
6.00 Rampage
7.00 CTV News
7.30 The World at War
8.30 Balani on Sunday
9.30 Dispatches
10.00 Oderings Homes and Gardens
10.30 The World Tomorrow
11.00 Welcome to Canterbury
12.00am Closedown
2 Likes
Today’s TV: Sunday 29 May 1977
from the NZ Listener
TV One
11.00am Open Mind
Noon News
12.05 Crossroads
12.30 The Big Match
1.00 Sunday Matinee - The Mudlark (1950) (B&W) (Rpt)
2.35 Bon Appétit
2.50 The New Land (Rpt)
3.40 Spot On
4.10 Paddington
4.15 The Wonderful World of Disney - Shokee, the Everglades Panther
5.00 Sport on One Special - Rugby League
1977 Rugby League World Cup - NZ v Australia; highlights
6.05 Dr Seuss - The Lorax (Rpt)
6.30 News
6.45 Sunday’s World
7.00 Show of the Week - Barbra: With One More Look at You
7.50 Country Calendar
8.05 The Explorers
8.55 News
9.00 Seven Days
9.30 Offerings
9.35 Red Letter Day
10.25 NZ Brass Bands Championships
11.00 News and Weather
11.05 Closedown
South Pacific Television (SPTV)
Noon Kaleidoscope (Rpt)
A repeat screening of last Friday’s programme
1.05 Action on Sunday (Movie) - The Wooden Horse (1950) (B&W)
2.40 Sportsworld
4.35 On the Mat
5.05 The High Chaparral
5.55 Telethon Report
6.00 Weekend Edition (News)
6.15 Doctor Who - Planet of the Spiders (Part 5)
6.40 Stars on Sunday
7.10 Wodehouse Playhouse - The Rise of Minna Nordstrom
7.40 Family
8.30 Sunday Feature - The Day of the Dolphin (1973)
10.10 Weekend Edition (News)
10.20 Access
10.50 Father Brown (Part 2)
11.40 (approx) Closedown
Today’s TV: Friday 29 May 1987
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
10.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV One’s daily programming
11.00 The New Ed Allen Show (Rpt)
11.20 Kōhanga Reo
11.30 Cockleshell Bay
11.40 Rainbow (Rpt)
Noon Midday News
12.10 The Young and the Restless
1.05 Days of Our Lives
1.55 The Liver Birds (Rpt)
2.30 1987 Rugby World Cup
Tonga v Wales - pool match; live from Showgrounds Oval, Palmerston North
4.45 Mork & Mindy (Rpt)
5.15 Dr Kildare (Rpt)
5.45 Te Karere
6.00 M-A-S-H (Rpt)
6.30 Network News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Coronation Street
8.00 Just Good Friends
8.30 Fast Forward
9.00 Fourth Estate
9.15 1987 Rugby World Cup
Includes highlights of today’s pool match (Tonga v Wales) and a preview of tomorrow’s action (Canada v Ireland, Scotland v Zimbabwe, Japan v England)
10.00 Feature Films: A New Zealand Season - Smash Palace (1981)
12.05am Closedown
TV2
11.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV2’s daily programming
Noon Friday Matinee - A Case of Libel (1983)
1.40 Terry and June (Rpt)
2.10 Animals, Animals, Animals (Final) (Rpt)
2.30 Play School
2.55 Postman Pat (Rpt)
3.10 Sooty
3.25 Fred Basset (Rpt)
3.30 After School, including (all times approx):
3.35 T-Bag Strikes Again (Part 6)
4.00 The Smurfs (Rpt)
4.15 The Friday Afternoon Special - Thunderbirds in Outer Space (1981)
6.00 Sons and Daughters
6.30 Charles in Charge
7.00 Perfect Strangers
7.30 Barbra Streisand: One Voice
8.30 Open All Hours (Rpt)
9.00 Dallas
10.00 EyeWitness
Current affairs, “WorldWatch” and a news update
11.00 Heartbeat City
12.05am Closedown
1 Like
Today’s TV: Saturday 12 June 1976
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
10.00am Sports Extra
Includes racing (a review of last week’s harness racing from Ashburton and Hutt Park and a preview of today’s meeting at Ellerslie) and rugby
11.00 Of Course You Can Do It
11.30 The Phil Silvers Show (B&W)
Noon Saturday Matinee - The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970)
1.35 News
1.40 Sport on One
Includes live racing from Ellerslie (the Cornwall Handicap [first leg double], the Tecoma Handicap, the Visitors Handicap [second leg double] and the Fitzroy Handicap]), darts and football (1976 Lion Chatham Cup - live coverage of one of the crucial matches)
5.00 The Beachcombers
5.30 Iron Horse (Rpt)
6.25 The Wombles
6.30 News
Includes regional news from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin
7.00 Space: 1999
8.00 Saturday Night at the Movies - Star! (1968)
10.00 News
10.05 Saturday Night at the Movies - Star! (Continued)
11.20 Grunt Machine Special
12.00am News and Weather
12.05 Closedown
TV2 South Pacific Television
1.00pm Saturday Matinee - Bottoms Up (1960)
2.35 Dinah!
3.25 The Big Valley
4.15 The Adventures of Black Beauty
4.40 Thunderbirds
5.30 The Great NZ Sports Game
6.00 News at Six
6.10 Sport Around Six
6.30 Little House on the Prairie
7.25 A Touch of Country
7.55 The Two Ronnies
8.45 Movin’ On
9.40 News
9.55 Late Night Movie - Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
11.40 (approx) Closedown
Today’s TV: Thursday 12 June 1986
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
8.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV One’s daily programming
9.00 Play School (Rpt)
9.25 The Adventures of Paddington (Rpt)
9.30 The Wombles (Rpt)
9.35 You and Your Child (Rpt)
9.40 Aerobicise
10.05 Crossroads
10.30 Don’t Ask Me (Rpt)
11.00 News
11.02 Warship (Rpt)
Noon The Young and the Restless
1.00 Last of the Summer Wine (Rpt)
1.35 Days of Our Lives
2.30 You and Your Child (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
2.35 Play School (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
3.00 Sesame Street (Rpt)
4.00 After School, including:
4.05 The Adventures of the Little Prince
4.30 The Video Dispatch
5.00 Smuggler (Part 2) (Rpt)
5.30 It’s Academic
6.00 Happy Days (Rpt)
6.30 News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Coronation Street (Double episode)
8.30 Close Up
9.30 ‘Allo ‘Allo! (Series return)
10.00 The Professionals (Rpt)
11.05 News
11.10 The Invaders (Rpt)
12.05am Closedown
TV2
5.15am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV2’s daily programming
5.30 Football - 1986 FIFA World Cup
Paraguay v Belgium - Group B match; live from Estadio Toluca 70-86, Toluca
8.00 Replay Sport
This programme is unlisted
9.30 Football - 1986 FIFA World Cup
England v Poland - Group F match; live from Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza
Noon Petticoat Junction (B&W) (Rpt)
12.30 Newsline
1.25 Beauty and the Beast
1.50 See Here
2.00 Miller’s Court
2.35 A Country Practice
3.30 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Rpt)
3.55 Animals, Animals, Animals (Rpt)
4.15 Thursday Afternoon Movie - Affair in Reno (1957) (B&W)
5.45 News
5.50 Te Karere
6.00 Sons and Daughters
6.30 Three’s Company (Rpt)
7.00 Cowboys (Rpt)
7.30 Simon & Simon
8.30 Dynasty
9.30 Eye Witness News
10.00 Tonight with Bob Parker
11.00 Prisoner (Rpt)
11.55 Closedown
1 Like
Today’s TV: Monday 17 June 1991
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
10.15am Teletext in Vision
10.30 Classics on One - You Can’t Escape (1957) (B&W) (Rpt, G)
11.45 Quantum (Rpt, G)
Noon ABC World News Tonight (Starting today)
Via satellite from New York (USA)
12.30 Mini-Series - Race for the Bomb (Starting today, part 1) (G)
2.25 Matinee on One - The Bed Sitting Room (1969) (Rpt, PGR)
4.15 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Rpt, G)
4.45 Take the High Road (G)
5.15 Te Karere
5.25 It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (Rpt, G)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Holmes
7.00 Sale of the Century (G)
7.30 ‘Allo ‘Allo! (Rpt, PGR)
8.00 Gillette World Sport Special (G)
8.35 Beyond 2000 (G)
9.35 Surgical Spirit (Part 2) (PGR)
10.10 One Network News
10.40 Monday Documentary - Route 66 (Part 2, final) (Rpt, PGR)
11.45 Are You Being Served? (Rpt, PGR)
12.30am Closedown
Channel 2
6.15am Teletext in Vision
6.30 Well Loved Tales (G)
7.00 ITN World News
Via satellite from London (UK)
7.25 Top Cat (Rpt, G)
8.00 ITN World News (Rpt)
A repeat screening of the 7am bulletin
8.25 Storybook World (G)
8.40 Sesame Street (Rpt, G)
9.35 Play School (Rpt, G)
10.05 Aerobics Oz Style (G)
10.30 Neighbours (Rpt, G)
11.05 Santa Barbara (G)
Noon The Young and the Restless (G)
1.00 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.00 Benson (Rpt, G)
2.30 After 2, including:
2.33 Play School (Rpt, G)
3.00 Sooty (G)
3.20 The Poddington Peas (G)
3.30 Snorks (Rpt, G)
4.05 Danger Mouse (Rpt, G)
4.30 COPS (Rpt, G)
5.00 The Bugs Bunny Show (G)
5.30 Wheel of Fortune (G)
6.00 Blind Date (G)
6.30 M-A-S-H (Rpt, G)
7.00 Neighbours (G)
7.30 The Flying Doctors (G)
8.30 LA Law (PGR)
9.30 Jake and the Fatman (PGR)
10.30 Aussie League on 2
NSWRL/Winfield Cup 1991 - full coverage of a Sunday match
12.20am Closedown
TV3
Noon NBC Nightly News
Via satellite from New York (US)
12.30 On Trial (AO)
1.00 The Bold and the Beautiful (PGR)
1.30 Another World (PGR)
2.30 The Oprah Winfrey Show (Rpt, G)
3.20 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Rpt, G)
3.30 The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (G)
4.00 DuckTales (Starting today) (G)
4.30 Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (G)
5.00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (G)
5.30 Home and Away (G)
6.00 3 National News
7.00 Hey Dad..! (G)
7.30 Candid Camera (G)
8.00 Away Laughing (PGR)
8.30 Monday Night at the Movies - Unspeakable Acts (1990) (AO)
10.30 Nightline
11.00 TJ Hooker (AO)
12.00am (approx) Closedown
Sky Sport
5.30am Golf
1991 US Open - final round; live from Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota
10.00 Closedown
Noon Baseball
1991 Major League Baseball - Pittsburgh v San Francisco
3.00 Football
UEFA Euro 1992 qualifiers - Wales v West Germany
4.30 Champions: Where Are They Now?
5.00 Motorsport
1991 IndyCar Series - Detroit Grand Prix; highlights
6.30 Golf
1991 US Open - final round; highlights
8.00 Motorsport
1991 Formula One World Championship - Mexican Grand Prix; highlights
10.00 Basketball
NBA 1991 finals - game six
11.30 Closedown
Sky Movies
8.00am Sport Special - Motorsport
1991 Formula One World Championship - Mexican Grand Prix; live from Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City
10.00 Closedown
Noon The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963) (G)
2.40 My Boyfriend’s Back (1989) (GY)
4.00 Black Beauty (1971) (G)
6.00 Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) (GA)
8.00 The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) (RP16)
10.00 Blind Date (1987) (GA)
11.40 Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) (R16)
1.08am Closedown
Canterbury Television (CTV)
5.00pm Mork & Mindy (G)
5.30 First Report
6.10 Taxi (G)
6.40 The Tripods (G)
7.15 DB Sport
7.50 Colin’s Sandwich (PGR)
8.35 George Balani
9.15 CTV Report
9.30 Widows (AO)
10.45 Soap (AO)
11.30 Closedown
The day local TV changed forever - the launch of CTV
On the evening of Monday 17 June 1991, at exactly 5pm, a quiet revolution took place in New Zealand broadcasting.
Viewers tuning into UHF channel 48 in Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury areas were greeted not by the standard national feed from Auckland or Wellington, but by something entirely fresh yet intimately familiar.
Canterbury Television (CTV) had officially begun transmission.
As New Zealand’s very first regional television station, CTV set out to rewrite the rules of local media. Headquartered in the original TVNZ Christchurch studios (the iconic birthplace of the beloved children’s show What Now), the fledgling station broadcast its signal from the Sugarloaf transmitter atop the Port Hills.
Its inaugural programme?
A beloved imported US sitcom, Mork & Mindy. But behind that Hollywood exterior lay a deeply independent, fiercely local heart.
CTV was the brainchild of its founder and managing director, Joanna McMenamin.
McMenamin was no stranger to the fast-paced world of broadcasting. She possessed an illustrious international media background spanning more than two decades, having worked as a reporter, scriptwriter and producer for heavyweights like the ABC in Australia and the BBC and ITN in Britain. She had also spent significant time working for TVNZ before making the bold decision to leave the state broadcaster in 1989 to turn her dream of a regional station into a reality.
Though her career was global, her heart belonged to Christchurch. McMenamin’s core broadcasting philosophy was driven by a glaring irony she observed in modern media, famously summarising it with the observation:
“It’s quite bizarre. You can have a live television picture of what’s going on in Baghdad, but you don’t see what’s going on in Hereford Street.”
McMenamin and her dedicated staff of roughly 30 professionals were utterly determined to bridge this gap. They chose to live in Christchurch because they genuinely believed it was the finest place in New Zealand to reside, and they wanted their broadcast to reflect that passion. The station’s ultimate goal was to serve as a mirror to the joys of living in what McMenamin fondly described as a ‘very small big city’.
A true community mirror
This local ‘mirror’ promised a rich tapestry of regional content, including:
- Nightly local news: Shifting the focus from bureaucratic Wellington politics to how national issues directly impacted Canterbury families.
- Regional sport: Harnessing the immense sporting talent of local athletes and national coaches based in the region.
- Arts, music and features: Celebrating the vibrant cultural fabric of the Mainland.
- Public forums: Weekly interactive discussions hosted right inside the CTV studios.
- Community guides: Comprehensive ‘what’s on’ guides to keep locals connected.
Testing the waters: the road to launch
Before the grand opening on 17 June, CTV underwent a rigorous testing phase to ensure the technology and the audience were ready.
Test transmissions officially commenced on 13 May. These transmissions featured an array of test patterns, pictures and colours, allowing Canterbury viewers and local technicians to fine-tune their televisions and VCRs to the new UHF frequency. For many households, upgrading to a dedicated UHF aerial was a necessary step to secure crisp picture quality.
Radio meets television
In an innovative cross-media experiment, CTV teamed up with 91ZM (now ZM) before the official launch.
For exactly one week (20-24 May) CTV presented a live simulcast of the popular James & Ken Breakfast show from 6-9am.
Viewers could watch hosts James Daniels and Ken Ellis at work live in the 91ZM studio, interspersed with footage from a roving camera that captured the city of Christchurch waking up in real time. There were no music videos.
The 1991 DB Christchurch Marathon
On 2 June 1991 CTV took its boldest pre-launch leap by broadcasting the DB Christchurch Marathon live from 11.15pm until 1pm.
Because this was technically part of the station’s test transmission phase, CTV management explicitly warned marathon organisers to keep their expectations modest. Yet, the broadcast defied the odds. With a live tracking camera following the front runners and expert commentary led by Dr Roger Robinson (an experienced marathoner who travelled down from Wellington) the live broadcast proved to be an overwhelming success and a brilliant proof of concept for regional live television.
Old friends and new faces
When CTV went live full-time, its programme schedule offered a brilliant blend of international imports and bespoke local productions. The station was initially on air seven days a week from 5pm until roughly 11pm, preceded daily by a 15 min pre-transmission test at 4.45pm.
Local productions from CTV included:
- First Report: The station’s flagship news programme, fronted by fresh face Grant Mangin. It provided a distinctly local spin on national and international events and ensured Canterbury’s perspective was always front and centre, according to Bill Simpson, CTV’s then head of news. First Report was on air at 5.30pm Monday to Friday on CTV.
- CTV Report: A concise, 15-minute round-up of local, national, and international news screening at 9pm Monday to Friday (during the 8pm movie). In addition, CTV occasionally broke into scheduled programming to deliver developing local stories.
- DB Sport (originally CTV Monday Sport): A dedicated Monday night sports show hosted by former radio personality Sue Wells, legendary ex-All Black Wayne Smith and sports journalist David Di Somma. It focused heavily on grass-roots and regional sporting achievements.
- Coming Attractions: A Thursday night staple previewing local events, anchored by Yvonne Moore (wife of the then Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Mike Moore).
- Oderings Homes and Gardens (orihinally Canterbury Homes and Gardens): A Wednesday night favourite presented by ex-TVNZ reporter, Maggie Leask.
- George Balani: A live, controversial, political and highly entertaining Sunday night interview show hosted by the inimitable George Balani.
Other CTV personalities included Bryan Allpress and Liz Grant.
To complement its local flair, CTV filled out its schedule with high-quality overseas acquisitions, including a nightly movie at 8pm and classic US sitcoms such as Taxi and Soap.
Opening night
The debut evening schedule was a masterclass in varied programming, running seamlessly from late afternoon into the night:
| Time | Programme | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4.45pm | Pre-Transmission Test | Technical tune-in period. |
| 5.00pm | Mork & Mindy | The official launch programme (US sitcom). “Mork Moves In”. Too unfamiliar with earthling ways to go it alone, Mork (Robin Williams) moves into Mindy’s (Pam Dawber) attic - but her father is not impressed. |
| 5.30pm | First Report | The news for Canterbury, about Canterbury, with Grant Mangin. News, issues and features from the region plus national and international headlines. |
| 6.10pm | Taxi | Acclaimed US comedy series. “Like Father, Like Daughter”. The cabbies team up in a wild non-stop drive from New York to Miami so that Alex (Judd Hirsch) can spend 20 minutes with his long-lost daughter. |
| 6.40pm | The Tripods | A BBC sci-fi drama based on the John Christopher novels, following Will (John Shackley) and Henry (Jim Baker) as they flee alien overlords. “A Village in England - July 2089 AD”. Will Parker learns the truth about ‘capping’ from the vagrant Ozymandias and escapes with his cousin Henry to seek the free men in the White Mountains. |
| 7.15pm | DB Sport | Sue Wells, Wayne Smith and David Di Somma bring a Canterbury perspective to the best of the week’s sporting action. |
| 7.50pm | Colin’s Sandwich | BBC comedy with Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail worker with dreams of being a writer. |
| 8.35pm | George Balani | George Balani hosts a special Monday edition of the live show covering any issues - entertaining, controversial, political or just plain fun. |
| 9.15pm | CTV Report | Headlines from New Zealand and overseas. News and features from Canterbury. |
| 9.30pm | Widows | Lynda La Plante’s critically acclaimed British crime drama, beginning with the very first episode. After a fatal accident during a raid, recently widowed Dolly Rawlins (Ann Mitchell) contacts the fellow widows of her deceased husbands gang of armed robbers. Dolly, Linda Pirelli (Maureen O’Farrell) and Shirley Miller (Fiona Hendley) agree to carry out the next planned robbery. |
| 10.45pm | Soap | This satirical soap opera introduces the Campbells and the Tates - two suburban families of unequal prosperity but equal lunacy. A cult classic. |
| 11.30pm | Closedown | CTV closes its first official night on air. |
A night to remember
While the control room was a hive of focused, high-stakes activity ensuring the broadcast went off without a hitch, the rest of the CTV building played host to an unforgettable launch party.
A crowd of roughly 150 guests (comprising local dignitaries, politicians and media personalities) celebrated with champagne, beer, orange juice and hors d’oeuvres. Among the attendees were high-profile local MPs Mike Moore and Larry Sutherland, alongside popular contemporary television faces like Jason Gunn, Jon Gadsby and Simon Barnett.
At the absolute centre of the celebrations was Joanna McMenamin. Reflecting on a journey that had begun as a mere idea three years prior, she acknowledged that launching a television station during an economic downturn was a massive gamble. However, her confidence was buoyed by the resilience of local Canterbury businesses.
“What’s important to Christchurch, is important to us… We aim to focus on Canterbury,” she proudly stated, reiterating that CTV’s success would ultimately rely on giving locals the unique opportunity to see themselves reflected on screen.
Backed by civic and industry leaders
The then Mayor of Christchurch, Vicki Buck, championed the station’s arrival and noted that CTV would give the public a front-row seat to the region’s immense talent pool, humorously adding that viewers would get the benefit of enjoying local stories ‘in your own lounge without having to deal with 24 councillors as well’.
Even the state broadcaster offered its genuine blessings.
Brent Harman, CEO of TVNZ at the tune, extended his best wishes to the independent upstart.
Harman noted that while the two networks would naturally compete, CTV’s arrival was an excellent development for the region and filled a vital void left after TVNZ had largely withdrawn from producing regional content in Canterbury.
Conclusion
With that historic first broadcast, CTV successfully claimed its stake in New Zealand media history and proved that the stories happening on one’s own doorstep are just as vital, gripping and worthy of the screen as those happening on the other side of the globe.
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Today’s TV: Thursday 19 June 1980
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
11.35am Play School
Noon News
12.02 The Young and the Restless
12.30 See Here
12.40 Beauty and the Beast
1.05 Sweet Somerset
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.25 Fun Factory, including:
2.25 Join In
2.40 Rainbow
2.55 A Handful of Songs
3.10 Chic Chat
3.45 Jigsaw (Rpt)
4.10 King Cinder
4.40 The Video Dispatch
5.00 Wonder Woman (Rpt)
6.00 Happy Days
6.30 News
7.00 Coronation Street
7.30 Regional Programmes
Top Half (Auckland)
Today Tonight (Wellington)
The Mainland Touch (Christchurch)
7.30 South (Dunedin)
8.00 Bless Me, Father
8.30 Thursday Premiere - From Here to Eternity (Part 2)
10.30 The Other One (Part 2)
11.00 News
11.05 Closedown
TV2
2.30pm Crown Court
2.55 The Cedar Tree
3.20 Country Calendar (Rpt)
3.35 Dinah!
4.20 Kilvert’s Diary
4.35 The Onedin Line (Rpt)
5.30 M-A-S-H (Rpt)
5.55 News
6.00 LingaLongaMax
6.30 Diff’rent Strokes
7.00 Young Maverick (Part 5)
8.00 The Rockford Files
9.00 Eye Witness
9.30 Taxi
10.00 News at Ten
10.30 New Scotland Yard
11.25 The Fenn Street Gang
11.50 Closedown
Today’s TV: Tuesday 19 June 1990
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
10.00am Teletext in Vision
10.15 Play School (Rpt, G)
10.40 Cockleshell Bay (G)
10.50 Mr Hiccup (G)
10.55 Doctor Snuggles (Rpt, G)
11.00 The Onedin Line (Rpt, PGR)
11.55 Te Karere Headlines
Noon One Network News
12.15 Film on One - Tudawali (1988) (AO)
1.50 The Lotus Eaters (Part 7) (Rpt, AO)
2.50 Knots Landing (PGR)
3.50 Mr Belvedere (G)
4.20 The Robert Guillaume Show (G)
4.50 Emmerdale Farm (G)
5.20 North and South Island Programmes
NORTH
5.20 Te Karere
5.30 WKRP in Cincinnati (Rpt, G)
SOUTH
5.20 Bugs Bunny (G)
5.35 Te Karere
5.45 The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) / The South Tonight (Dunedin)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Holmes
7.00 Sale of the Century (G)
7.30 Holiday (G)
8.00 The Good Life (Rpt, G)
8.30 Crimewatch
9.30 One World of Sport - Nissan Rugby Special
Manawatu v Scotland - tour match; highlights
10.00 One Network News
10.20 Crimewatch Update
10.25 One World of Sport - Netball
1990 Johnson & Johnson Tri-Series (NZ v Australia) - final; live from the Sydney Entertainment Centre
11.45 One World of Sport - Goodyear Sports Action
Includes football (1990 FIFA World Cup - Ireland v Egypt, Belgium v Paraguay, Korea v Spain), basketball (NZ v England - second test), AFL, rugby (Manawatu v Scotland - tour match) and motorsport (1990 Superbike World Championship - round six)
1.30am Closedown
Channel 2
6.15am Teletext in Vision
6.30 The Muppet Show Command Performances (Rpt, G)
7.00 Breakfast News
7.05 The All New Popeye Show (Rpt, G)
7.30 Breakfast News
7.35 The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (G)
8.00 Breakfast News
8.05 The Raccoons (G)
8.30 Breakfast News
8.35 The Merrie Melodies Show (Rpt, G)
9.00 Bouli (G)
9.05 Sesame Street (Rpt, G)
10.05 The River (PGR)
10.40 Aerobics Oz Style (G)
11.05 Santa Barbara (G)
Noon The Young and the Restless
1.00 Days of Our Lives
2.00 Webster (G)
2.25 After 2, including:
2.26 Play School (Rpt, G)
2.50 Wisdom of the Gnomes (G)
3.15 The Smoggies (G)
3.45 Live!, including:
3.50 Centurions (G)
4.20 Wildtrack (G)
5.00 Batman (Rpt, G)
5.30 Blind Date (G)
6.00 Happy Days (Rpt, G)
6.30 Neighbours (Double episode) (G)
7.30 Cheers (G)
8.00 Night Court (PGR)
8.30 China Beach (PGR)
9.30 Wiseguy (AO)
10.30 Newsbreak
10.35 Friday the 13th: The Series (AO)
11.35 Alexei Sayle’s Stuff (AO)
12.20am Closedown
TV3
Noon Midday Matinee - Buckskin (1968)
2.00 The Bold and the Beautiful (PGR)
2.30 Another World (PGR)
3.20 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Rpt, G)
3.30 The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (G)
4.00 Police Academy (Rpt, G)
4.30 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Rpt, G)
5.00 Home and Away (G)
5.30 The Oprah Winfrey Show (G)
6.30 3 National News
7.00 Family Feud (G)
7.30 Sidekicks (G)
8.00 Hey Dad..! (PGR)
8.30 Crime Story (AO)
9.30 Hunter (AO)
10.30 Nightline
11.00 Diamonds (AO)
12.00am Closedown
Sky News (CNN)
6.00am Newsday
7.00 CNN International Hour
8.00 Newsday
8.30 BBC News
6pm bulletin - via satellite from London (UK)
9.00 Early Prime
9.30 BBC News
9pm bulletin - via satellite from London (UK)
10.00 The World Today
11.00 Moneyline
11.30 Crossfire
Noon Prime News
1.00 Larry King Live
2.00 CNN Evening News
3.00 Moneyline
3.30 CNN Sports Tonight
4.00 Newsnight
5.00 Showbiz Today
5.30 Newsnight Update
6.30 Sports Late Night
7.00 News Overnight
7.45 CNN Newsroom
8.00 Larry King
9.00 Crossfire
9.30 Early Bird News
10.00 Daybreak
10.30 Business Morning
11.00 Daybreak
11.30 Business Day
12.00am Daybreak
1.00 CNN Morning News
2.00 World Day
3.00 Daywatch
4.00 Newshour
5.00 Sonya Live in LA (Continues to 6am)
Sky Sport
6.55am Football - 1990 FIFA World Cup
Argentina v Romania - Group B match; live from Stadio San Paolo, Naples
9.00 Closedown
Noon Bodies in Motion
12.25 Bodyshaping
1.00 Football - 1990 FIFA World Cup
Argentina v Romania, Cameroon v Soviet Union - full replays of today’s Group B matches
4.00 Motorsport (Off-road racing)
5.00 Superbouts - Ali v Frazier (1974)
6.00 Aussie Rules
AFL 1990 - highlights of the previous weekend’s action
7.00 Football - 1990 FIFA World Cup
Argentina v Romania, Cameroon v Soviet Union - full replays of today’s Group B matches
10.00 Motorsport
USAC Sprints, followed by NHRA drag racing (at 10.30pm)
11.00 Closedown
Sky Movies
Noon Ask Dr Ruth (GY)
12.30 Loving (G)
1.00 The Beachcombers (G)
1.30 The Wild, Wild World of Animals (G)
2.00 52 Pick-Up (1986) (R180
4.00 Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) (GA)
6.00 Honkytonk Man (1982) (R13)
8.05 Gremlins (1984) (GY)
10.00 Manhunter (1986) (R16)
12.08am Closedown
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Today’s TV: Tuesday 3 July 1979
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
Noon News
12.05 The Young and the Restless
12.35 Beauty and the Beast
1.00 Good Day
1.20 Days of Our Lives
2.10 Couples
2.50 Play School
3.15 Sean the Leprechaun (Rpt)
3.25 Space Sentinels
3.50 Mister Ed (B&W) (Rpt)
4.15 The Feathered Serpent (Part 4)
4.40 How’s That?
5.10 The Last of the Mohicans (Part 5)
6.00 M-A-S-H (Rpt)
6.30 News
Includes regional news from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin
7.00 Close to Home
7.30 Super Sale
8.00 The Rag Trade (Final)
8.30 Edward & Mrs Simpson (Part 6)
9.30 News
9.45 All in the Family
10.15 Sport on One - Rugby Special
Hawke’s Bay v France - tour match; highlights
11.10 News and Weather
11.15 Closedown
South Pacific Television (SPTV)
3.00pm Chic Chat, including:
3.00 Romper Room
3.35 Bugs Bunny and Friends
3.40 The Lone Ranger
3.45 Michael Bentine’s Potty Time
4.00 Good Time Show with Tracy, including:
4.00 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
4.30 Superman
5.00 Hunter’s Gold (Starting today, part 1) (Rpt)
5.30 The Tony Randall Show (Rpt)
6.00 News at Six
6.28 Weather
6.30 Wonder Woman
7.30 Thomas & Sarah
8.30 Starsky & Hutch
9.30 Eye Witness
10.00 News at Ten
Includes Focus and tomorrow’s weather
10.30 Men of Affairs
11.00 Radio with Pictures
12.00am Weather Outlook and Goodnight Kiwi (Closedown)
Today’s TV: Monday 3 July 1989
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
9.55am Teletext in Vision
10.10 Aerobics Oz Style (G)
10.35 Play School (Rpt, G)
11.00 Rainbow (Rpt, G)
11.15 The Smurfs (Rpt, G)
11.40 Towser (G)
11.45 Kōhanga Reo (Rpt, G)
11.55 Te Karere Headlines
Noon Network News at Noon
12.15 Santa Barbara (PGR)
1.10 Days of Our Lives (G)
2.10 Coronation Street (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of last Thursday and Friday’s programmes
3.05 Massage (Starting today, part 1) (G)
3.35 Nature Watch (Part 4) (G)
4.05 Terry and June (G)
4.45 Emmerdale Farm (G)
5.15 Te Karere
5.25 Sons and Daughters (G)
6.00 Network News at Six
6.30 Holmes
7.00 EastEnders (PGR)
7.30 Matlock (PGR)
8.30 Bust (Starting tonight, part 1)
9.30 EyeWitness News
10.00 Wide World of Sport
Includes rugby league (NSWRL/Winfield Cup 1989), motorsport (1989 Belgian Grand Prix) and athletics (1989 Bislett Games)
12.00am Closedown
Network Two
10.50am Teletext in Vision
11.05 The Young and the Restless (G)
Noon Love Connection (G)
12.30 The Love Boat (Double episode) (Rpt, G)
2.15 After 2, including (all times approx):
2.16 Play School (Rpt, G)
2.40 Doctor Snuggles (G)
2.50 Zoobilee Zoo (G)
3.15 Square One (Starting today) (G)
3.45 Live!, including (all times approx):
3.50 Danger Mouse (Rpt, G)
4.05 Danger Bay (G)
4.40 RTR Megamix (G)
5.10 The Mostly Useful Job Guide (G)
5.40 Newsbreak and Regional Programmes
Top Half (Auckland)
Today Tonight (Wellington)
The Mainland Touch (Christchurch)
The South Tonight (Dunedin)
6.00 M-A-S-H (Rpt, G)
6.30 Neighbours (G)
7.00 Sale of the Century (G)
7.30 The Flying Doctors (G)
8.30 China Beach (AO)
9.30 The Twilight Zone (G)
10.30 Newsbreak
Includes Māori news summary (with English subtitles)
10.35 Entertainment This Week (G)
11.30 The Avengers (Rpt, PGR)
12.30am Closedown
3 Likes
Today’s TV: Tuesday 7 July 1987
from the NZ Listener and The Press
TV One
10.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV One’s scheduled programming
11.00 The New Ed Allen Show (Rpt)
11.20 Kōhanga Reo (Rpt)
11.30 World 12-Metre Yachting
Noon Midday News
12.10 Warship (Rpt)
1.10 Trapper John MD (Rpt)
2.00 Petticoat Junction (Rpt)
2.35 Alias Smith and Jones (Rpt)
3.35 Green Acres (Rpt)
4.05 German Scene (Rpt)
4.20 Emmerdale Farm
4.45 Bewitched (Rpt)
5.15 Dr Kildare (Rpt)
5.45 Te Karere
6.00 World 12-Metre Yachting (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s report
6.30 Network News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Ever Decreasing Circles (Final)
8.00 Simon & Simon
9.00 1987 Skellerup Young Farmer of the Year
10.00 Hill Street Blues
11.00 Survivors (Rpt)
12.00am Closedown
TV2
11.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV2’s scheduled programming
Noon Magnum PI (Rpt)
12.55 The Pallisers (Rpt)
1.55 Crown Court (Rpt)
2.25 Tales of the Wizard of Oz
2.30 Play School
2.55 Sesame Street
3.57 Free Time, including (all times approx):
4.00 Emu’s World
4.28 Flintstone Frolics (Rpt)
4.55 The Children of Green Knowe (Part 2)
5.30 Doctor Who - The Deadly Assassin (Part 1)
6.00 Sons and Daughters
6.30 Highway to Heaven
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 Money-Go-Round
8.30 The Golden Girls
9.00 Hollywood Wives (Part 5)
10.00 EyeWitness
Current affairs, “WorldWatch” and a news update
11.00 The Untouchables (Starting tonight) (B&W) (Rpt)
12.05am Closedown
Today’s TV: Monday 7 July 1997 (Free-to-air channels only)
from the NZ Listener
TV One
6.00am BBC World, including:
6.00 BBC World News
6.30 HARDtalk
7.00 BBC World Headlines
7.05 Weekend World - Global Report
8.00 eTV, including:
8.00 Horizon - Hubble Vision (Rpt, G)
8.50 UK Today (G)
9.00 Chairman Mao: The Last Emperor (G)
10.00 Infomercials
Noon Midday (News)
1.00 The Brothers (Rpt, G)
2.00 Sisters (PGR)
3.00 The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (G)
3.20 Johnson and Friends (G)
3.30 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (Rpt, G)
4.00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Rpt, G)
4.35 Te Karere
4.50 EastEnders (G)
5.30 5.30 with Jude (G)
6.00 One Network News
7.00 Holmes
7.30 Coronation Street (Double episode) (G)
8.30 Dangerfield (AO)
9.35 Tonight (News)
10.00 The South Bank Show - Eric Clapton (PGR)
10.55 One World of Sport - Tennis
1997 Wimbledon Championships - men’s singles final; highlights
11.55 Infomercials
12.50am BBC World, including:
12.50 World Focus - Correspondent
1.00 BBC World News
1.15 World Business Report
1.30 BBC Newshour Asia Pacific
2,25 50 Years of Independence
2.30 World Living - Film ‘97 with Barry Norman
3.00 BBC World News
3.30 HARDtalk
4.00 BBC World News
4.30 World Living - Tomorrow’s World
5.00 The World Today (Continues to 6am)
TV2
6.00am Infomercial
6.30 Hurricanes (G)
7.00 Peter Pan: The Animated Series (G)
7.30 Rocko’s Modern Life (G)
8.00 G-Force: Guardians of Space (G0
8.30 Barney & Friends (G)
9.00 Here’s Humphrey (G)
9.30 Shortland Street (Rpt, PGR)
10.00 Good Morning
Noon The Young and the Restless (PGR)
1.00 Days of Our Lives (G)
2.00 Ricki Lake (G)
3.00 The Bold and the Beautiful (G)
3.30 Rugrats (G)
4.00 What Now
4.30 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (G)
5.00 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (Rpt, G)
5.30 The Beverly Hillbillies (Starting tonight) (Rpt, G)
6.00 The Simpsons (Rpt, G)
6.30 Home and Away (G)
7.00 Shortland Street (PGR)
7.30 NZI Crimescene
8.00 Street Stories (PGR)
8.30 The X-Files (AO)
9.30 Chicago Hope (AO)
10.30 Roseanne (Double episode) (PGR)
11.30 Boston Common (PGR)
12.00am The Late Show with David Letterman (PGR)
12.55 High Tide (PGR)
1.55 The Commish (AO)
2.50 Family Passions (AO)
3.45 Behind the Scenes - “Liar Liar” (Rpt, PGR)
4.15 The 5 Mrs Buchanans (Rpt, G)
4.40 Love & War (Rpt, G)
5.10 Boogies Diner (G)
5.35 Kenneth Copeland - Believer’s Voice of Victory (Continues to 6am)
TV3
6.00am Infomercial
6.30 Aunties Alphabet (Rpt, G)
6.35 The Magic Box (Rpt, G)
7.00 Treasures Parent Time (Rpt, G)
7.05 You and Me (Rpt, G)
7.30 TaleSpin (G)
8.00 DuckTales (Rpt, G)
8.30 Jim Henson’s Animal Show (G)
9.00 Infomercials
10.00 What’s Cooking? (Rpt, G)
10.30 Monty (PGR)
11.00 Entertainment Tonight (G)
Noon The Oprah Winfrey Show (G)
1.00 Sally Jessy Raphaël (G)
2.00 Beauty and the Beast (AO)
3.05 You and Me (G)
3.30 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (G)
3.35 Disney Adventure Afternoon, including:
3.35 The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa (G)
4.05 Aladdin (Rpt, G)
4.30 Masked Rider (G)
5.00 Full House (G)
5.30 Hogan’s Heroes (Rpt, G)
6.00 3 National News
7.00 Home Improvement (Rpt, G)
7.30 3rd Rock from the Sun (PGR)
8.00 It’s a Man’s World (PGR)
8.30 Monday Night at the Movies - Kindergarten Cop (1990) (Rpt, AO)
10.55 Nightline
11.25 Suzuki Motorsport
12.25am ABC World News Tonight
12.55 Infomercials
1.55 Sally Jessy Raphaël (AO)
2.45 Star Trek: The Original Series (PGR)
3.35 Sale of the Century (Rpt, G)
4.00 Infomercials
5.30 This Is Your Day with Benny Hinn (Continues to 6am)
TV4
10.00am Infomercials
2.00pm Interior Motives (G)
2.25 Neighbours (Rpt, G)
2.55 General Hospital (PGR)
3.40 My Three Sons (G)
4.05 Gilligan’s Island (G)
4.35 Get Smart (G)
5.05 Hang Time (G)
5.30 Saved by the Bell (G)
6.00 California Dreams (G)
6.30 Neighbours (G)
7.00 Singled Out (PGR)
7.30 Buffy the Vampire Slayer (PGR)
8.25 Beavis and Butt-Head (AO)
8.55 Flatmates (Starting tonight) (AO)
Click the NZ On Screen link below to watch the full series (including tonight’s episode)
9.25 Kindred: The Embraced (AO)
10.25 Ed’s Night Party (AO)
10.55 The A-List (AO)
11.25 Comics Only (PGR)
11.55 Closedown
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