NZ TV History

Here’s a snapshot of TVNZ’s music show, CV, which began in April 1989 and ran for a year.

CV was described as ‘the complete video show with reviews, competitions, gig guides and all the latest music’. Robert Rakete was one of its three presenters (the others, in the background, were Mark Tierney and Larnie Gifford).

1 Like

The old Nightline set and desk (circa 1994), with Janet Wilson and Neil Waka.

5 Likes

This takes me back. Born in '73 but I still remember the “Rainbow” One '75 ident, South Pacific Television '76 ident and One opener '75 (Intermezzo from the “Karelia Suite”).

In 2008, and then a few years later, I obtained them and other clips from the TVNZ Archive directly.

And a couple of days ago I upscaled them and changed the frame rate to 60fps. The Opener looks pretty good with the frame rate change. More smoother than the conventional 25 fps that’s for sure.

5 Likes

Thanks for sharing your memories, @Damo.

2 Likes

I saw this a few moments ago and I wonder if South Pacific Television “borrowed” the look of the logo because I’ve compared this image to our Telethon logo and I strongly believe they did “borrow” it but only altered the length of the word “Telethon” in the box and changed the font.

What does the community think?

2 Likes

You are indeed correct. It was Discovery.

4 Likes

I went through my tapes many years ago and transferred them to DVD. Now I’m kind of thinking about closing my gaming channel and taking those idents and openings and putting them on You Tube.

The only difference being is that I’ll be upscaling them and perhaps changing the framerate to 50fps.

4 Likes

@Damo Good suggestion!

1 Like

The making of Ready to Roll (RTR)

Produced by TVNZ at its Wellington studios (Avalon), Ready to Roll (RTR), to me, was appointment viewing for music fans during the 1980s; it screened on TV One (now TVNZ 1) at 6pm on Saturday evenings - just before the news. In 1987 it moved to TV2 (now TVNZ 2).

Here’s how a typical week’s edition of RTR was made. Every Wednesday at lunchtime, the top 20 chart was delivered from RIANZ (now Recorded Music NZ) to the Wellington-based RTR office. The production team, led by series producer Peter Blake (not to be confused with the late yachtsman of the same name!), then had 1.5 days to plan that week’s edition and assemble a set of music videos based on the chart. Once the whole programme was compiled on a Friday morning, it was ready for transmission the following evening.

Irene Gardiner, also a media commentator, had worked for the NZ Listener as one of its writers and went on to work in television over the years as a producer, director and programme commissioner. She wrote a small piece for the Listener (22 December 1984):

Each week 90 record shops from throughout the country send their sales figures to the Recording Industry Association and from these the association calculates the week’s top 100 singles and albums. The Ready to Roll production office receives the top 20 at 1.30pm on Wednesdays which gives the team a day and a half to plan that Saturday’s programme before it is compiled on the Friday morning.
As well as the weekly charts, the Recording Industry Association works out the official New Zealand top 100 for each year.

2 Likes

They seen as the NZ youths favourite programme through 1975 to throughout the 80s as it also being TV One’s most popular programmes before changing to older age group to launch competition to years to come. RTR has aired recently as 2003 on TV2 where it is popular for most millennials

What date and time and what channel did the 1984 movie “Dune” first air on New Zealand television?

I wouldn’t have a clue at this time.

That suggestion is now a reality.

1 Like

I have to admit that @Damo is a great fan of Kiwi TV from back in the day - especially the old channel idents, on-air promos and opening titles - so, in the next few days, I’ll be seeing more of those unforgettable gems on his new improved YouTube channel.

An example of the videos seen on YouTube is the opening sequence for TV2 South Pacific Television (now TVNZ 2), which, from its very inception until 1977, opened transmission at 1pm on a daily basis. TV2 was rebranded as South Pacific Television (SPTV) in December 1976.

2 Likes

Anyone remember the big hype over TVNZ showing the classic movie: Gorilla at Large (1954). It was the first and only time I can recall a programme on NZ TV to be shown in 3D. For memory, I think you had to get the 3D glasses from KFC. I’m pretty sure it was shown mid-week in January 1988. I’m sure for memory, they showed the classic black and white Dillinger movie straight after it too.

3 Likes

RETAINING FAMILIAR FACES FROM SPTV

@greenpea @NuStraya @OnAir Many of South Pacific Television’s (SPTV) familiar faces - such as Philip Sherry, Tom Bradley, Jennie Goodwin, John Hawkesby and Doug Armstrong - were retained as SPTV merged with TV One to become what would be known as TVNZ.

When TVNZ came into existence in 1980, Philip Sherry was named the anchor of the new-look TV One’s (now TVNZ 1) 6.30pm news on weeknights. The role of 10pm and weekend anchor - in a single head newsreader format - was shared on a week-on, week-off basis by Tom Bradley and Jennie Goodwin. John Hawkesby fronted an Auckland regional programme known as “Top Half”; Judy Bailey came along a few months later as co-anchor. And Doug Armstrong hosted the Sunday edition of “Sport on One” from Auckland, whereas the Saturday edition was produced in Wellington.

Over in Wellington, Dougal Stevenson fronted a motoring programme known as “The Motor Show” while Bill McCarthy fronted “Sporting Life”, TVNZ’s midweek sports programme.

That piece was originally published in Christchurch’s The Press in October 1979 and reused with permission.

The veteran newscaster. Philip Sherry, will present the news at 6.30 p.m. on TV1 when Television New Zealand comes into effect next year.

Mr Sherry was one of the three newscasters for network news next year announced yesterday by the controller of news, current affairs and sports for TVNZ, Mr Bruce Crossan.

The others are Tom Bradley and Jennie Goodwin who will front “News at Ten” alternately on TV2. The present “News at Six” co-presenter, John Hawkesby, will front the Auckland regional programme.

Mr Sherry has been largely associated with television news and current affairs presentation since the mid-1960s and was one of the original news frontmen in the N.Z.B.C. days.

He returned to television in 1976 as co-presenter of the Feltex award-winning programme, “News at Ten,” with Tom Bradley. He spent a year fronting “Eye-witness” in 1978 and this year returned to “News at Ten” with Doug Armstrong.

Mr Sherry will be newscaster for the 6.30 p m. programme from Monday to Friday and will also front bulletins at the opening and closing of Transmission on TV1. Mr Bradley and Miss Goodwin will be sole presenters of “News at Ten” on an eight-day-on, six-off basis which will enable them to present news at weekends for both networks.

“We have decided to drop the dual newscaster presentation which has been a feature of SPTV’s news presentation for the last four years,” Mr Crossan said yesterday.

“While this system is widely used overseas, it possibly does not have the same wide appeal in New Zealand. I am also anxious to effect as few changes to viewing habits as possible and since the 6.30 p.m. news has always been a single presentation, any changes in the style of that programme should be resisted.”

The present newscaster of the 6.30 p.m. news, Dougal Stevenson has decided to remain in Wellington and will front a weekly motoring programme.

The other newscaster of the present 6.30 p.m. news, Bill McCarthy, will remain in the news, current affairs and sport division and will front the mid-week sports programme as well as compiling items for it.

Mr Armstrong will also join sport as frontman of the Sunday programme which will be compiled in Auckland and transmitted by TV1. Mr Armstrong might also become involved in commentating work in which he has had considerable experience in radio.

3 Likes

Found it. Dune first aired on NZ TV screens on the night of Sunday 29th March 1987 at 9:25pm, it aired on Television 2.


Your old Listener TV guides on your Facebook page pointed me in the right direction.

2 Likes

@Damo I have more information regarding the birth of TVNZ in 1980.

When TVNZ came along its original logo was the four stars (from the NZ flag) joining together, with the words “TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND” in Gill Sans MT.

The TVNZ logo was updated in 1981, but the channel idents were not unveiled until the following year.

By the way: Merry Christmas and may the New Year be as wonderful as we all are.

3 Likes

Hi Paddy. Hope you had a good Xmas. Just wondering if you can confirm this: I remember the big hype over TVNZ showing the classic movie: Gorilla at Large (1954). It was the first and only time I can recall a programme on NZ TV to be shown in 3D. For memory, I think you had to get the 3D glasses from KFC. I’m pretty sure it was shown mid-week in January 1988. I’m sure for memory, they showed the classic black and white Dillinger movie straight after it too.

Would this be correct?

2 Likes

@Skud The 1954 film Gorilla at Large was, in fact, shown on Network Two (now TVNZ 2) at 9pm on the evening of Monday 25 January 1988. And yes, you are right - Gorilla at Large was the first 3D feature to make it to our television screens.

In fact, the classic black-and-white Dillinger film wasn’t shown; instead, Network Two’s final programme for that evening was Call to Glory, a US drama series about a jet pilot and his family in the early 60s (at 10.55pm). Its closedown time was 11.45pm.

1 Like