Its Nine Perth’s turn to celebrate their 50th anniversary when the station broadcasts a special titled “50 Years – The Channel Nine Story” at 8.30 pm on Wednesday 17th June 2015.

STW 9 50th Anniversary Special – 8.30 pm Wednesday 17th June 2015

WA TV History
John Cranfield had Nine’s Michael Thompson and Terry Spence on 6PR’s “The Way We Were” to discuss the 50th Anniversary of STW 9. Nine Perth is broadcasting their 50th special at 8.30 pm on Wednesday 17th June 2015.

    STW veterans held a reunion at Peter Harries’ Royal Thai Restaurant in Mount Hawthorn on Friday 12th June 2015, where there was a capacity crowd of former staff in attendance.

    Peter hosted the occasion with entertainment provided by Kelly Green and Brenton Fosdike on vocals with Rod Christian and Dennis Bird providing the accompaniment.

    Nostalgic videos and slideshow, plus photo displays and albums provided many memories.

    Everyone was having a jolly good time with much catching up with old friends taking place.

Remembering Absent Friends with Alan Graham and Peter Harries

WA TV History
Remembering Absent Friends with Alan Graham and Peter Harries at the recent STW9 reunion at the Royal Thai Restaurant in Mount Hawthorn.

    Andrew Bayley has kindly provided a history of STW at…http://televisionau.com/2015/06/nine-perth-turns-50.html

When STW-9 commenced broadcasting on 12 June 1965.

STW9 Opening comment that 7 plus 2 equals 9

WA TV History
On the evening of June 12th 1965, at the opening ceremony of STW9, the Board Chairman Denis Cullity – a co-founder of Channel Nine in Perth, made the comment that 7 + 2 = 9.

The opening night’s programs on 12 June 1965 were:

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• 5.30 Montage of Perth: The people of WA at work and play.
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• 5.55 Official Opening: Premier David Brand officially opens Channel 9.
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• 6 The Cowboy and the Tiger: A young cowboy goes in search of a horse and finds a tiger.
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• 7 The World’s Greatest Showman: The film career of Cecil B. de Mille (1881-1959). With American silent film star Gloria Swanson (1899-1983), American film and stage actor James Stewart (1908-1997) and American actress Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990).
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• 8.30 Television Spells Magic: The problems of building a television station and the preparations for its opening night.
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• 9.30 News and Weather
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• 9.45 All My Eye and Betty Martin Too: Satirical half-hour with Buddy Clarke.
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• 10.15 Feature Film: ‘Guys and Dolls’ with Jean Simmons, Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.
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• 12.45 Close

    The licence to operate Perth’s second commercial station was awarded to Swan Television in February 1964.

    The call sign STW stands for Swan Television, Western Australia and was the second commercial television station in Perth.

    Live shows were numerous during the 1960s-70s, with a great range of content produced from children’s, women’s, quiz, variety, talent quests for both children and adults, current affairs, religious, News and documentaries.

    In 1975, Appealathon was introduced on behalf of the Slow Learning Children’s Group. Since then it has supported four specific charities with Appealathon funds: the Activ Foundation, Civilian Maimed & Limbless Association, Paraplegic/Quadriplegic Association and Rocky Bay. Many other organisations are helped as well on a yearly basis.

    STW became the first station in Perth to broadcast 24 hours a day on 17 April 1984.

    In the late 1980s, Bond Media bought STW9 and it became a Nine Network owned and operated station when Alan Bond purchased the network.

    In 1989, Bond Media was forced to sell STW9 due to the new Federal cross-media ownership laws, which restricted the level of national reach for media owners. The station was sold to Sunraysia Television for A$95 million.

    Sunraysia was majority owned by Eva Presser, who owned more than 50% of the company’s stock. WIN Corporation owned another 43.65% of shares.

Later, Bruce Gordon’s WIN Corporation bought STW9 in 2007.

    In 2009, the station said it was scaling back its involvement with Appealathon after 30 years and has handed the administration over to Variety WA.

    In 2013, Nine Entertainment Co, owner of the Nine stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin, purchased Perth’s STW Nine from regional broadcaster WIN.

   David Mott was then appointed the Managing Director of Channel Nine Perth in September 2013. Immediately prior to that, David Mott was the Chief Programming Officer at Network Ten from January 2003 to August 2013. Earlier, he was Head of Programming at Network Ten from 1997 to 2003 and Deputy from 1996 to 1997.

    Before Ten, David Mott was the Sydney Program Director at Seven from 1994 to 1996, after filling various programming roles at Seven Perth from 1978 to 1994.

   Mr Mott is well aware of the successful strategies employed by Sir James Cruthers in making TVW7 in Perth a constant rating winner. Much of this has to do with the station being perceived as an important part of the community.

    It will thus be interesting to follow the improving fortunes of Nine Perth with David Mott at the helm.

    STW-9 broadcasts from a transmitter mast located in Walliston in the Perth Hills beyond Kalamunda. Its operational base and studios are presently located at 9 Gay Street, Dianella, across the road from where Seven’s former studios were located… but are now demolished.

    Nine will be moving into St George’s Terrace, Perth in 2016, to a site up towards the Barracks Arch at 253 St George’s Terrace.