Historical Aspect Our cinemas and television stations are experiencing challenges never encountered fifty years ago. There was a considerable lag between a movie being seen in the US and in a Perth cinema during the 1950s. The movies shown in the suburban cinemas could be years behind the US first release date. The same was often the case with our television viewing, with Perth being a late starter in the TV field, compared to the US and the UK. Quadraplex 2 inch videotape was not invented by AMPEX until 1956 and film projectors were not common in homes, except for 8mm home movies or the rent of...

Is there an unrealistic trend today where people expect things free through the internet? Or is there something fundamentally flawed with our information and entertainment business model, in this rapidly changing world? The newspapers wish to introduce a fee for reading their publications on line at a time when internet users have an expectation that content should be free. To some degree the same goes for movie and TV show downloads. News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch has announced the company will charge readers to access online content within a year, emphasising that,...

The West Australian newspaper’s TVW 50th Anniversary supplement published on Friday October 16, 2009…. Courtesy of WA Newspapers If you have difficulty viewing the following PDF files then you may need to click and hold (Mac) or right click on the link (PC), then choose “Download to Disk,” “Save Target As…,” or the equivalent. If you do not have Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, you may download it by clicking the following link: View this page as a PDF file View Cover.pdf It might be...

Continuing the West Australian newspaper’s TVW 50th Anniversary supplement… Courtesy of WA Newspapers If you have difficulty viewing the following PDF files then you may need to click and hold (Mac) or right click on the link (PC), then choose “Download to Disk,” “Save Target As…,” or the equivalent. If you do not have Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, you may download it by clicking the following link: The 1979 Miss Universe contest was memorable – especially for Max Bostock. Just as the winner was announced...

Continuing the West Australian newspaper’s TVW 50th Anniversary supplement… Courtesy of WA Newspapers If you have difficulty viewing the following PDF files then you may need to click and hold (Mac) or right click on the link (PC), then choose “Download to Disk,” “Save Target As…,” or the equivalent. If you do not have Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, you may download it by clicking the following link: Dennis Cometti remembers the glory days of WA footy, and how the right people helped the channel bind itself to a sporting community. View...

When TV began in WA the equipment was primitive by today’s standards. Almost everything was thermionic valve driven, bulky, power hungry and in constant need of adjustment and a higher maintenance risk. Each time TVW took the PYE image orthicon cameras out on an outside broadcast there was a high likelihood of component faults. TVW’s original RCA TRT-IB videotape machines required constant server alignment as did each videotape played. The smaller, less power hungry germanium transistors were trialed in 1947 with the first silicon transistor produced in 1954. It then took a while before...

The media is constantly undergoing transition ever since the invention of paper and the Gothenburg printing press took over from monks in an abbey, each working with ink, paint, brush and pen. This was an important first step towards the democratisation of knowledge. The invention of photography, the telegraph, telephone, motion pictures, radio, television, satellites, computers and the internet have each revolutionised their eras too. Those of us who have worked in the media have in some way felt the impact of new technology. Radio was challenged by television, then reinvented itself to survive....

A collage of images taken during the TVW Reunion held at Seven’s studios on Sunday October 18th, 2009. Content courtesy of Nigel Felangue, Gordon McColl and Seven News.

The ABC will launch Australia’s first free-to-air 24-hour television news channel in 2010. The news channel will be launched on the ABC’s HD channel, adding to the range of services offered by the broadcaster on ABC1, ABC2 and ABC3. Further details of the new channel, including the program schedule and launch date, will be outlined in coming months. A continuous news centre with a new state-of-the-art studio, will be located in the foyer of the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters in Sydney. The ABC can draw on newsrooms in every state and territory, 12 international bureaux and 60 regional...

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All May 2010 bring you Good Luck, Good Health and Happiness.