The time slot and it wasn’t live
The VFL/AFL didn’t allow live TV coverage of Melbourne-based matches in Victoria. The Saturday night replay IIRC only featured highlights or selected quarters of the afternoon’s games.
I remember Saturday afternoons at our house my parents would often have the radio on for live coverage of the footy.
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The main purpose was (and still is) to protect the suburban and country footy competitions across Victoria. I can still remember a small number of ads in the Melbourne Yellow Pages in the 1990s promoting installation of satellite dishes to receive the match of the day on Saturday afternoons.
The broadcast deal with Foxtel and proliferation of AFL mobile app means it is far easier to watch Saturday afternoon matches nowadays, although it is still not free.
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Aren’t Melbourne-based AFL games covered live on TV in Victoria now, even if just on Foxtel?
They are. The notion of protecting the gate went comply out during the previous rights agreement when every match was live on fta or pay TV.
The idea of protecting local leagues on Saturday afternoons diminished when Sports AFL on Optus began in 1996 and later when Ten began broadcasting matches into Melbourne on a 90 min delay in 2002.
Even in the current rights deal I think Foxtel had the option to on sell Saturday afternoon matches to a FTA network.
To us old farts that was normal.
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There was one exception- the last match at Victoria Park in 99. That was more or less an exception to the rule about the AFL’s policy to protect the suburban and country footy competitions across Victoria.
That’s why you never saw a game interstate on Saturdays too- to protect the suburban and country footy competitions across Victoria. Although there were a few games at Maunka Oval that were exceptions…those started at 1.30pm. Plus the radio stations liked having that slot to themselves(expect for the Saturday night replay which only featured highlights.)
I’m kind of surprised about the AFL wanting to protect the suburban and country footy competitions across Victoria, considering the Paytv rise in the 90s. But i’m shocked about the ads in the Melbourne Yellow Pages in the 1990s promoting installation of satellite dishes to watch AFL matches on Saturdays.
Today’s TV: 8.8.1964, Melbourne / Gippsland
Ballarat / Bendigo / Shepparton
Source: TV Week
ATV0’s first full week ends with the debut of The Ray Taylor Show, a talk show featuring former Sydney TV host Ray Taylor. The show, which had a satirical tone, struggled to gain much traction in Melbourne. Also, not helped by being up against Nine’s Norman Banks show.
The Ray Taylor Show proved to be a frustrating experience – with Melburnians seemingly not warming to Taylor’s more mature style of humour and commentary. “So many viewers here still aren’t mature enough to have a laugh at themselves or hear sex discussed without getting flustered. It’s all too parochial,” he told TV Times early in 1965.
The show had also endured four different producers and a number of timeslot changes as the channel sought to gradually turn the show around into an In Melbourne Tonight-style clone. Its last timeslot change saw it move to Monday nights directly up against IMT.
The show was axed early in 1966. It didn’t seem to bother Taylor too much, he soon went to the US and was a successful comedy writer for many years before returning to Australia in the late 1980s where he continued to work in radio before retiring.
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WOW! That’s a throwback. The premiere of 24, damn I loved that show.
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Season 5 was the best.
“General Steele mistakes Klinger for his wife.” Great episode description for M.A.S.H.
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The first season was a massive hit for seven if I remember.
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Anyone know how long business breakfast lasted for on the ABC?
Don’t recall. But I think it was hosted by Emma Alberici
EDIT:
Emma joined the ABC in 2002, where she presented and launched Business Breakfast from June 2002 until August 2003. Emma went on to co-host Midday News and Business.
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At least 14 months on air… went longer than I thought.
what’s NTHN?
Ten Northern NSW. Formerly NRTV and now WIN Northern NSW.
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