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