At the weekend I picked up a copy of Robert Boyd-Bell's 1985 book New Zealand Television: The First 25 Years at an op-shop in Featherston (Monsieur Fox, 74 Fox St). It's a fascinating time capsule of the development of TV at a time before the national network was fully commercialised, and when there were still only two nationwide TV channels. (TV3 didn't launch until November 1989).
New Zealand was a late starter in television terms, only implementing network TV in 1960, more than four years after it was introduced in Australia. Governments were wary of the additional cost involved in establishing a new broadcasting network, particularly because the existing radio networks were deemed to be furnishing all the country's mass media requirements in a cost-effective and easily regulated environment. But experimental test screenings led to growing public demand, and in January 1960 the Nash Government announced that TV would be introduced in the four main centres later that year.
Boyd-Bell's book documents the gestation of TV services and summarises the broadcasting highlights of the first 25 years. There are plenty of interesting photos included - below are some highlights of the colour inserts. (All reproduced images are the property of their original owners).
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| A shiny Phillip Schofield hosts pop magazine show 'Shazam' |
See also:
Blog: TV flashback
1966,
1971,
1976,
1981,
1986,
1991
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