It’s interesting how allegiances can change with time. For example, Jim Cruthers’ licence application beat Rupert Murdoch’s Western Television bid to operate the first television station in WA, which was won by TVW Limited. Yet Cruthers became personal adviser to Rupert Murdoch on retiring as Chairman and Managing Director of TVW Enterprises in 1981. Sir James was not the only TVW manager to join Murdoch, as Max Bostock ran Network Ten and Bill McKenzie ran ATV Channel 0 (later 10) whilst owned by News Investments Pty Limited. The shift in allegiance was motivated by the takeover of TVW Enterprises by Robert Holmes à Court.

Some of the key TVW personnel and Board at the retirement dinner
for Frank Moss in 1979

Back row, from left: D’arcy Biesot, Darcy Farrell, Greg Byrne, Dick Ashton, Kevin Bicknell, Max Bostock, Syd Donovan, Rolf Lindsey, Bernie Roddy, Wally Staniforth, John Hunn, Jan Vermazen, Alf Binks.
Front row: Bill McKenzie, Joe Sweeney, Jim Cruthers, Frank Moss, Jack Donovan, Ken Kemp, Charles Hugall.

It was Cruthers’ boss at WA Newspapers, James Edward Macartney (1911-1977), who started the whole TVW ball rolling… yet also jumped ship, when on leaving the newspaper company in May 1969, he took up a position as a consultant to STW Channel 9, TVW’s competition.

After former TVW co-founder Brian Treasure retired from the station in December 1975, his business dealings involved working for Nine network boss Kerry Packer and establishing Perth’s first commercial FM radio station, 96FM, with funding from Kerry Stokes and Jack Bendat. This team also created West Coast Telecasters, the successful applicant for the NEW Channel 10 licence in Perth. Though the company was sold to Frank Lowy’s Northern Star Holdings before they went to air on Friday May 20, 1988, as a result of a change in government policy. A number of key TVW management and staff were involved with the new channel. These included Bill McKenzie (Managing Director), Stuart Joynt (founding News Director), Marion Leyer (Director of Production) and Glenys Gill (Program Manager).

Many TVW staff jumped ship to STW after Perth’s second commercial station was established in 1965. These included, Lloyd Lawson, Audrey Barnaby, Ernie Taylor, Vic Kitney, George Baker, Colin Gorie, Bob Penno, Cedric Woods, the Davies twins, Geoff Waldock, Keith Bales, John Shepherd, Olive Barrett (nee Shearer), the Cox brothers, Vic Gaidelevicius, Liz Kirkham, Eric Walters, Russell Sage, Ray Sinclair, Steele Stacey, Frank Bird, Chas Broughton, Peter Waltham, Russell Goodrick, Greg Pearce, Terry Willesee, John Hudson, Phil Booth, Errol Considine, Brian Coulter, Harry Kelly, Dexter Crowell, Bob Goodall, Pedro Dunn, Peter Finn, Tod Johnston, Stuart Joynt, Terry Spence, Ric Stone, and many more. Whilst others trod the other route to Seven, including, Jeff Newman, Peter Dean, Jenny Seaton (nee Clemesha), Ron Berryman, John Crilly, Bob Finkle, Michael Goodall, Ernie Taylor and Vic Kitney returning, Tom Warne and Chris Gore, to name a few.

The fortunes of TVW under Sir James Cruthers were outstanding, but unfortunately the cash rich company attracted corporate raiders and succumb to the giddy era of empire manipulation where often valued assets were stripped for other purposes. TVW was proud of their museum and early family work environment, but all this was to change after considerable growth and take-overs, firstly with Robert Holmes à Court, briefly with Alan Bond and finally ending in bankruptcy after the failed ventures of Christopher Skase. It was one of Cruthers protégés Kevin Campbell who helped restructure the company and float it on the stock exchange, to eventually end up today, as part of Kerry Stokes empire, who himself was a protégés of Brian Treasure.

STW for a time was also embroiled in a massive corporate adventure, with Alan Bond’s audacious takeover of the Nine network, with his short lived media empire crumbling two years after the October 1987 stock market crash. Bond also controlled WA Newspapers before being declared bankrupt in 1992. WA Newspapers was restructured and floated on the stock exchange as West Australian Newspapers Holdings the same year. In December 2008, Kerry Stokes became chairman of the reformed company, following a power struggle with the previous board.

Now things have gone full circle, except in this case the Seven Network interests now control WA Newspapers.

Kerry Stokes speech at 2009 TVW Corporate Function

WA TV History
The executive chairman of the Seven Network Mr Kerry Stokes delivered a speech on Friday 16th October 2009, at the TVW Corporate Function to mark the 50th anniversary of television in Western Australia. Mr Stokes spoke about the TVW staff, both past and present, who have contributed so much to broadcasting in WA, of whom many have gone further in the east and other networks, after gaining their training in Perth.

Time Line for Period of Turmoil for TVW and WA Newspapers