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Saturday 19 January 1957 – MELBOURNE

Opening night for Melbourne’s second commercial channel, GTV9. The broadcast was highlighted by the arrival of Governor Sir Dallas Brooks, who entered the studio in a chauffeur-driven limousine before officially opening the new channel. The two-hour variety show that followed set the tone that GTV9 was going to be heavily into live variety — elements of which continue to appear on the channel more than fifty years later.

Rival channel HSV7 did not let the night go without throwing up some competition, by launching a new sports show and featuring a Fred Astaire movie.

TV At 60: Viewing’s fine on GTV9

Source: The Age, 17 January 1957

ABV2 HSV7 GTV9
6AM
7AM
8AM
9AM
10AM
11AM
12PM
1PM
2PM 2pm Tennis: Australian Championships
Live from Kooyong. Commentator Ray McDonald
2pm Tennis: Australian Championships
Live from Kooyong. Commentators Danny Webb, Bill Collins, Bert Day
3PM
4PM
5PM 5pm Close
6PM 6pm Peter’s Fun Fair
6.30 Hopalong Cassidy
7PM 7pm News, Sport, Weather
7.15 The Liberace Show
7.45 Look
7pm News, Weather. Danny Webb, Brenda Marshall
7.15 All Sports Show. Bill Collins PREMIERE
7.30pm Opening Night Interviews. John McMahon
8PM 8.15 Movie: Golden Arrow [IMDB] 8pm Scarlet Pimpernel
8.30 Movie: You’ll Never Get Rich [IMDB]
8pm Opening Night Program: GTV9. Terry Dear, Geoff Corke, Lou Toppano’s orchestra, Bob Dyer, Toni Lamond, Frank Sheldon, Happy Hammond, Ray Dickson, Ron Blaskett. Official opening by Governor of Victoria Sir Dallas Brooks.
9PM 9.45 Close
10PM 10pm Racket Squad
10.30 Wrestling
10pm Close
11PM 11.30 Close
12AM
1AM
2AM
3AM
4AM
5AM

 

gtv9_launch

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