Back in the day, electricity restrictions triggered by industrial action were an occasional feature of life in Victoria. Various measures were applied to domestic, business and industrial premises to stem the widespread use of electricity to ensure the demand did not exceed the instantly limited supply.
Among the measures applied to cut back household power usage was to force TV stations to limit their program hours and dictate that household televisions were only to be used in certain hours.
In July 1981, when power industry workers in the Latrobe Valley called a snap strike, Victoria’s television stations were restricted to a maximum two hours of programming between 6.00pm and 8.00pm. The strike happened to coincide with other industrial action affecting the state’s milk supplies and which also threatened to escalate to include petrol deliveries. Not a fun day for Victorians!
The day there really was nothing on TV is one of the latest additions to Classic TV Guides:
- Monday 29 January 1962 — VICTORIA The Bloke
- Sunday 18 March 1962 — VICTORIA
- Friday 12 February 1965 — VICTORIA
- Friday 12 February 1965 — ADELAIDE
- Monday 19 February 1979 — MELBOURNE Premiere Nationwide, Everyday
- Sunday 15 March 1981 — MELBOURNE Outbreak Of Love
- Tuesday 18 May 1981 — VICTORIA
- Wednesday 22 July 1981 — MELBOURNE TV shutdown
- Sunday 21 March 1982 — VICTORIA Jana Wendt joins 60 Minutes
- Tuesday 30 March 1982 — MELBOURNE The 54th Academy Awards
- Sunday 16 January 1983 — VICTORIA A Special Place
- Tuesday 25 December 1984 — MELBOURNE
- Friday 5 April 1985 — SYDNEY Good Friday
- Thursday 16 January 1986 — VICTORIA Benson & Hedges World Series Cricket
- Monday 7 April 1986 — MELBOURNE Shout! The Story Of Johnny O’Keefe
- Monday 29 June 1987 — MELBOURNE Anzacs
- Wednesday 7 February 1990 — MELBOURNE Premiere Family And Friends
- Friday 19 August 1994 — MELBOURNE Opening Ceremony XV Commonwealth Games
- Tuesday 16 February 1999 — MELBOURNE The Big News, The Late Report, The Super Debate
