History
GTV-9 was amongst the first television stations to begin regular transmission in Australia. Test transmissions began on 27 September 1956, introduced by former 3DB radio announcer Geoff Corke, based at the Mount Dandenong transmitter, as the studios in Richmond were not yet ready. The station covered the 1956 Summer Olympics which Melbourne hosted.,[1] the 1956 Carols By Candlelight and the Davis Cup tennis as part of its test transmissions.
The station was officially opened on 19 January 1957[2] by Victorian Governor Sir Dallas Brooks from the studios in Bendigo Street, Richmond. GTV-9 was the third television station to launch in Victoria after HSV-7 and ABV-2, on 19 January 1957. A clip from the ceremony has featured in a number of GTV-9 retrospectives, in which the Governor advises viewers that if they did not like the programs, they could just turn off.
The Richmond building, bearing the name Television City, had been converted from a Heinz tinned food factory, also occupied in the past by the Wertheim Piano Company (from 1908 to 1935).[3][4] A cornerstone, now visible from the staff canteen courtyard, was laid when construction of the Piano factory began.
Eric Pearce was appointed senior newsreader in the late 1960s, after having been the first newsreader at rival station HSV-7. He held that position for almost twenty years.[citation needed] In 1957, GTV-9's first large-scale production was the nightly variety show In Melbourne Tonight ("IMT"), hosted by Graham Kennedy. Kennedy was a radio announcer at 3UZ in Melbourne before being 'discovered' by GTV-9 producer Norm Spencer, when appearing on a GTV-9 telethon. Bert Newton moved from HSV-7 to join Kennedy. IMT continued for thirteen years, dominating Melbourne's television scene for most of that time. It set a precedent for a number of subsequent live variety programmes from the station.[citation needed]
Ownership has changed over the decades. The station was first licensed to the General Television Corporation Ltd., a consortium of two newspapers, The Argus and The Age, together with cinema chains Hoyts, Greater Union, Sir Arthur Warner's Electronic Industries, JC William's Theatres, Cinesound Productions, and radio stations 3XY, 3UZ, 3KZ. In early 1957 The Argus was acquired by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, and the paper was closed on the same day that GTV-9 officially opened. The Herald in turn sold its interests in the station to Electronic Industries, later acquired by UK television manufacturer Pye, in 1960.[citation needed] Because of the restriction on foreign ownership of television stations, GTV-9 was then sold to Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press, which already owned TCN-9 in Sydney, resulting in the formation of the country's first commercially owned television network.[citation needed] Prior to this GTV-9 was affiliated with ATN-7 in Sydney. Son Clyde Packer ran the network for some time, until a falling out led to a handover to younger son Kerry Packer. In the 1980s the network was sold to Alan Bond, but later bought back at a much lower price.[5] Following the death of Kerry Packer, his son James Packer progressively sold down his stake in the network. (See also Publishing and Broadcasting Limited.)
Along with most Australian TV stations, GTV-9 commenced colour test transmissions in October 1974.[6] The official changeover took place at 12.00am on Saturday 1 March 1975.[7] In 1976, GTV-9 became the first Australian television station to commence permanent 24-hour transmission.[citation needed] In 2001 the station commenced digital television broadcasting, in line with most other metropolitan stations. GTV-9 continued broadcasting in analogue on VHF9, with a digital simulcast on VHF8.
In 2010 it was announced to public and then staff, that after 54 years at Bendigo Street, GTV-9 would move day-to-day operations including News and commercial sales to 717 Bourke Street, Docklands. On 25 October 2010, it was announced that GTV-9 would begin producing larger scale studio productions, such as The Footy Show, Hey Hey its Saturday, and Millionaire Hotseat from the new Docklands Studios Melbourne.[8]
On 28 February 2011, GTV-9 broadcast its final live program – the 6pm edition of Nine News – from the Richmond Television City studios, and the following day began broadcasting news bulletins from 717 Bourke Street. Also while their new fibre link to their transmission site was being completed, a temporary DVB-S2 link was put up on Optus D1, which ceased at the end of the year.
In 2012, no new programming has been produced out of the new studios. The network opted to move A Current Affair and its host Tracy Grimshaw to TCN-9 in Sydney.
In May 2012, a lower powered permanent backup DVB-S2 link for their transmission site was re-established on Optus D1, which requires at least a two-metre solid receiving dish.
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