The Opening Ceremony of The Games Of The XX Olympiad is broadcast live via satellite on ABC and Seven. It is the first time since the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956 that an Olympics opening ceremony is broadcast live in Australia.
Both ABC and Seven would go on to broadcast half-hour highlights packages each morning and evening during the Olympic Games.
Source: TV Week, 26 August 1972.
| ABV2 | HSV7 | GTV9 | ATV0 | |
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| 6AM | ||||
| 7AM | 7am Playroom 7.30 Humphrey Bear’s Curiosity Show |
7am Building Today. Murray Jones | ||
| 8AM | 8.30am Cartoons | 8.30 Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Daryl Somers. Includes Phantaman, The Adventures Of Mr Magoo, Bomba The Jungle Boy. | 8am Happening 72. Jeff Phillips, Johnny Young | |
| 9AM | 9am Jet Set. Trudy Jaworski | |||
| 10AM | ||||
| 11AM | 11.30 The Samurai | |||
| 12PM | 12.50pm Hit Scene. Dick Williams | 12pm Movies: Man Of Bronze. 1951 [IMDB]; Million Dollar Legs. 1932 [IMDB]. Includes VFL updates at 2.05, 2.40, 3.15, 4.05, 4.40 and live crosses to races at Sandown | 12.30pm World Championship Wrestling. Jack Little | 12pm On The Ball. Peter Sharp, Ted Henrys 12.30 Racing. Craig Kelly, John Russell |
| 1PM | 1.20 Sportsview | 1.30 Movie: Blondie’s Hero. 1950 [IMDB] | 1.15 TV Form Guide. Clem Dimsey, Peter Lovitt. 1.45 Wide World Of Sport |
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| 2PM | *2.20 Racing: Sandown | |||
| 3PM | 3pm Daktari | *3pm Racing: Werribee *3.30 Racing: Sandown (* indicates approximate times only) |
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| 4PM | 4.55 Sporting Roundup | 4pm Wells Fargo | 4.45 Sporting Roundup. Keith Livingstone, Peter Sharp | |
| 5PM | 5.05 Cattanooga Cats 5.47 Grasshopper Island |
5.30 Jeopardy. Graham Webb | 5pm Bandstand. Brian Henderson | 5pm Roller Game |
| 6PM | 6pm Today’s Football 6.30 Golden Silents 6.55 Weather |
6pm Seven National News. David Johnston 6.30 Football Inquest. Michael Williamson |
6pm National Nine News. Peter Smith, Bert Bryant, Ted Whitten 6.30 The Godfathers |
6pm 0 Melbourne News. Ron Alderton, Clem Dimsey, Peter Sharp 6.30 Young Talent Time |
| 7PM | 7pm ABC News 7.30 Football Replay: VFL |
7pm Big Replay: VFL | 7pm Split Second. Ken James | 7.30 The Monroes |
| 8PM | 8.30 Four Corners | 8.15 Penthouse Club. Michael Williamson, Mary Hardy | 8pm Hawaii Five O | 8.30 Movie: Ring Of Treason. 1964 [IMDB] |
| 9PM | 9.25 The Danny Thomas Hour | 9pm Movie: A Run For Your Money. 1950 [IMDB] | ||
| 10PM | 10.15 Movie: Fame Is The Name Of The Game [IMDB] | 10.35 News. Jason Davis 10.40 Olympic Report 10.45 VFL Matches Of The Day |
10.10 Late News. Ron Alderton 10.15 Movie: Hunchback Of Rome [IMDB] |
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| 11PM | 11.50 Tales From Hoffnung | 11pm News. Peter Landy 11.15 Big Replay: VFL |
11.45 Movie: The Devil’s Jest. 1960 [IMDB] | |
| 12AM | 12am The Games Of The XX Olympiad: Opening Ceremony. Live from Munich | 12am The Games Of The XX Olympiad: Opening Ceremony. Live from Munich | 12.45am Movie: The Three Avengers. 1965 [IMDB] | 12.05am Weather 12.07 Close |
| 1AM | ||||
| 2AM | 2am Close | 2am Close | ||
| 3AM | 3.45 Close | |||
| 4AM | ||||
| 5AM |
