From NZ TV Weekly November 28. 1966
AUCKLAND
Can’t quite see why Revue '66 hit such an adverse reaction. It was not over-publicised in advance, so people should not have been expecting too much. Weakest points have obviously been the little sketches, most of which have stayed at the high school concert level, and the rather wishy-washy screen personality of the compere ..... ' Local politicians have been a bit twittery about whether the pirate shambles could have galled electors into switching their votes. My bet is that it wouldn’t matter a scrap ..... Wonder whether viewers really are asking for locally produced drama? The few small endeavours to date certainly haven’t prompted any subsequent demand.... Wellington producer Brian Bell came north for talks on the projected drama series ..... Jim McPherson’s homely gardening talks are winning a following, but let’s hope some of his repeated phrases don’t become cliches ..... Surprised to find a lot of older folk rather disapprove of the Dean Martin Show-they really believe that old Dino is slightly sloshed every session.... Political question panel included a face once very familiar on local TV belonged to a bloke called John Spedding ..... Noticed how parochial visitors can be about TV? There is a sort of one-upmanship about being able to say Oh, that show was on our station weeks ago.
Even better to be a Dunedinite visiting Auckland and discover that the day’s temperature in the Deep South has been several degrees above the Queen St. figure.
Wellington
Dunedin should be complaining of its brain-and beauty-drain to the capital. Roy Melford has returned, after a couple of years’ absence in the south, to take over the job that Brian Bell had been doing. Then Dougal Stevenson joined the WNTV1 Town and Around team, where he is already making his mark, complementing the brisk (and sometimes brusque) Graham Billing and the smooth (and sometimes zany) Mike Minehan. Dougal fronted Dunedin’s Here and Now, an experience which is standing him in good stead now. Incidentally he has bought a house out at Paremata: obviously he and his wife and still-new family plan to become Wellingtonians. Another new arrival from Dunedin is Judith Pate, who makes a welcome addition to the rather depleted ranks of WNTV1’s continuity girls ..... Why has the NZBC let the talent of Peter Sinclair as a TV compere languish so long this year? Viewers here who have seen Auckland’s front men can’t understand why they didn’t turn to Pete first. He’s proved himself. Thanks to Kevan Moore, who is bringing him back for C'mon! we should be seeing more of Pete next year, if the pilot evokes the response it is expected to.
CHRISTCHURCH
Local golfing enthusiast Alan Bailey returned home after a six-month United States study tour of the golfing set-up there with the idea of setting up a golf driving range. He attributed terrific growth of the sport in the United States to TV and the impact of personalities like Arnold Palmer-a combination which had given a fantastic boost to the game in America.... Among the first films to be screened when West Germany switches to colour TV next European summer will be a 45-minute documentary on Antarctica. It is being shot by a three-man team, headed by Dr W. Buesgen, from Channel 2, based on Mainz. The doctor said in Christchurch on his way south that the station was national and so the film would be seen by almost every West German and West Berlin viewer. The team is using bulky 35mm equipment because German experiments with 16mm colour film for TV have produced disappointing results, so far.... Three hundred electors in Fendalton were asked to participate in a public opinion survey on attributes of politicians and issues of a controversial nature which have recently come under discussion. The survey was conducted by the University of Canterbury political science department, whose acting head is Dr Austin Mitchell. Now that might have made a good election programme - conducted in typical Mitchell Topic style! ..... Maybe it’s imagination, but recent snap survey among male CHTV3 viewers leaves a sneaking suspicion that the male continuity staff has been hogging the screen lately ..... Roy Woodward tried hard to look amused, but obviously wasn’t, when he couldn’t make the three o’clock temperatures stick on the weather map one night recently.
DUNEDIN
Coincidence! Herewith the first par written for this DNTV2 Channel Check BEFORE the arrival of the Wellington instalment. - Local viewers are still bewailing the disappearance from our screens of Judy Pate and Dougal Stevenson. It’s not often transferred announcers are regretted so long after departure, and it’s only to be hoped they are appreciated in their new spheres.
-So you see, Wellington, we do indeed deplore our brain and beauty drain to the capital, but at least are now reassured that they are adding a value apparently previously lacking in WNTV1 transmissions. Which of course pleases us on their behalf, but is no consolation to local viewers at all! ..... Of course this is nothing new. Look around so many of the top spots at NZBC Wellington, and see what you find - Supervisor Programme Planning (Radio), Dick Wade; Commercial Manager NZBC, Ray Shaw; WNTV1 Station Manager, Ken Donaldson; Assistant Commercial Manager NZBC, Ken Wynn; Supervisor Programme Planning (TV), James MacFarlane; Controller of Programmes (TV), Tahu Shankland; Director of Sound Broadcasting, Lionel Sceats; District Manager, Wellington, J. L. O. Hartstonge; not for- getting momentarily absent former Chief Producer (TV), Alan Morrisone and all graduates of broadcasting in Dunedin. We can make ’em, it seems. We just can’t KEEP ’em! Invercargill can shortly expect its second visit from the DNTV2 OB van (the first was for the Queen Mother’s arrival) when there’ll be special live telecasts from Invercargill’s Centennial A. & P. Show.
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