Events In History
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28 March 2004Māori Television launched
A dawn pōwhiri at Māori Television’s new offices in Newmarket, Auckland, was covered in the first transmission next day. Read more...
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25 May 1992First episode of Shortland Street goes to air
In 2022, Shortland Street was New Zealand’s longest-running television drama series Read more...
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6 March 1966Country calendar goes to air
For over fifty years Country calendar has introduced half an hour of rural information presented in a way that was accessible to ‘townies’ Read more...
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1 June 1960New Zealand's first official TV broadcast
Broadcast from Shortland St in central Auckland, New Zealand’s first official television transmission began at 7.30 p.m. Read more...
Articles
Television in New Zealand
New Zealand’s first non-experimental television transmission went to air on 1 June 1960. To mark five decades of TV, in 2010 we presented five snapshots of Kiwi TV history. Explore pre-1960 experiments, TV news, music shows and modern election coverage - and discover how our own history has been showcased on the small screen.
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Page 2 – TV emerges in New Zealand timeline
New Zealand’s first non-experimental TV transmission was made on 1 June 1960. But this wasn’t the country’s first foray into television.
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Page 3 – Early evening news on TV
New Zealanders are used to receiving their early evening news on television at 6 p.m. every night of the week. But the current format only stabilised in the early 1990s. Until
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Page 4 – Kiwi music shows on TV
New Zealanders can now view music videos over the internet or on music channels C4 and Juice TV. But after TV was introduced in 1960 several generations of New Zealanders kept
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Page 5 – Elections on TV
It took a while for television to make its mark on New Zealand elections, but since the 1980s the small screen has become the decisive election battleground.
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Page 6 – History on TV timeline
A surprising amount of New Zealand history has appeared on television over the last half-century.
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Page 7 – Further information
Books and links to more information about NZ television history
Election Days
When New Zealanders go to the polls on 26 November 2011, they will continue a 158-year-old tradition of parliamentary democracy in this country. Politics may have changed beyond recognition since 1853, but the cut and thrust of the campaign trail, the power of advertising, and the drama of polling day remain as relevant as ever.
- Page 6 - Radio and TVElectoral advertising was transformed first by radio, and later by
The 1960s
Five decades ago most Kiwis enjoyed a standard of living that was the envy of other nations. During the 1960s the arrival of TV and jet airliners shrank our world, and New Zealanders began to express themselves on a range of international issues, including opposition to the Vietnam War.
- Page 9 - 1966 - key eventsA selection of the key events in New Zealand history from
Biographies
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Jack, Robert
'Hello My Dearie' became one of the first songs ever to hit the New Zealand airwaves when physics professor Robert Jack broadcast New Zealand’s first radio programme on 17 November 1921.
Read more...
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Main image: Shortland Street Studios
These Auckland recording studios symbolise the high point of our radio ('wireless') years.