List of years in Australian television
+...

This article is a summary of 1979 in Australian television.

Events

  • February - The Government approves the application for ATV0 to convert its transmission to the Channel 10 frequency.
  • 11 February - A brand new Australian weekly current affairs program 60 Minutes premieres on Nine Network. Based on the American newsmagazine television program of the same name, it has a lack lustre beginning, but will soon rise to become one of the highest-rating programs in Australia.
  • 27 February - Australian prime time black comedy/soap opera from Reg Grundy Productions Prisoner premieres on the 0-10 Network. It enjoys a large following both in Australia and around the world, particularly in the UK and parts of the US.
  • 28 February - In Prisoner, there was the Franky Doyle riot, Meg Jackson’s husband Bill Jackson is stabbed.
  • April - The Special Broadcasting Service screens the first of a series of multi-language programs on ABC on Sunday mornings.
  • 2 April - Australian actor Ron Blanchard and Alexander Bunyip the delightful character from the popular children's book The Monster That Ate Canberra by Michael Salmon present a brand new afternoon block for children called ARVO which also features programs such as Play School, Mr. Squiggle and Friends, Sesame Street, Basil Brush and The Famous Five.
  • 24 April - American prime time soap opera Dallas premieres on The 0-10 Network.
  • 1 May - During an escape with her girlfriend Doreen Anderson, Franky Doyle was shot. Her last words were “b***dy b*****ds’.
  • 28 June - Australian drama series Patrol Boat debuts on ABC.
  • 1 July - Commercial television stations now required to screen ‘C’ classified programming, aimed solely at children aged 6 to 13, every weekday between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Early ‘C’ classified programs include Simon Townsend's Wonder World (0-10), Stax (Seven) and Shirl's Neighbourhood (Seven). Commercial stations are also required to screen a minimum of 30 minutes each weekday, prior to 4:00pm, of programming aimed at pre-school viewers.
  • 9 July - Crawford Productions's brand new soap opera Skyways begins it premiere on the Seven Network.
  • 13 August - A brand new Australian environmental education series for children called Earthwatch debuts on ABC at 5:00pm as part of the ARVO lineup.
  • 2 October - American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes debuts on Nine Network.
  • November - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is taking control of TEN-10 Sydney and his bid to take over the Australian airline company which owns ATV0 Melbourne Ansett Australia, sparks a review into media ownership by the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.
  • 5 December - American sitcom Taxi premieres on Nine Network.

Debuts

Program Network Debut date
60 Minutes Nine Network 11 February
Doctor Down Under Seven Network 12 February
Prisoner The 0-10 Network 27 February
The Oracle ABC 12 March
Golden Soak ABC 13 March
Bailey's Bird Seven Network 25 March
ARVO ABC 2 April
Love Thy Neighbour in Australia Seven Network 9 April
Patrol Boat ABC 28 June
Carrots Seven Network 2 July
Skyways Seven Network 9 July
Ride on Stranger ABC 15 July
Top Mates ABC 16 July
Earthwatch ABC 13 August
Simon Townsend's Wonder World The 0-10 Network 3 September
Shirl's Neighbourhood Seven Network 1979
Wombat BTQ-7 1979
The World Around Us Seven Network 1979

New International Programming

Television shows

1950s

1960s

1970s

Ending this year

DateShowChannelDebut
12 January Cuckoo in the Nest Seven Network 22 December 1978
18 February Chopper Squad The 0-10 Network 5 November 1976
24 February Glenview High Seven Network 27 September 1977
1979 ARVO ABC 2 April 1979
1979 Super Flying Fun Show Nine Network 1970

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.