Originally published in the New Zealand TV Weekly, June 20 1966
Auckland
Hot rumour has it that Hamilton will have a TV station before much longer. Makes sense, as Hamilton has a potentially larger viewing audience than Dunedin. Programme accent would be on rural matters ..... A gardening session is a likely innovation locally ..... Kevan Moore has been back on loan to look after Town and Around for a few weeks while Bryan Easte copes with Festival material ..... Tide of opinion locally has been strongly anti-Kerr Can’t imagine how Colin Hill managed to talk the normally staid Navy into co-operating on such a crazy band inspection for Town and Around. . . . . Same show also uncorked an unexpected scrap of goonery when a wet day prompted the team into a wacky send-up of old-time melodrama ..... There is a chance one of the early panel games such as Tinker, Tailor will be revived in slightly altered form later in the year. It would be popular as there is a distinct lack of semi-audience participation material offering these days. . . . . Penny took a time dropping on two familiar faces sighted, while in London recently. The red-head in the car alongside while rounding Hyde Park Corner was Lucille Ball, although it took me five minutes to wake up to the fact, and the gaunt fellow two tables over at Talk of the Town was John Le Mesurier. . . . First Topic gave a dismal preview of the sort of political pontificating we can expect later in the year ..... Friday full-length films are being well received but The Planemakers repeat has obviously come far too soon.... Congratulations to the Queenstown publicity party for skilled use of TV in their determined bid to snaffle a share of Auckland’s tourist traffic.
WELLINGTON
The Brian Bell-Alex McDowell team has been given the go-ahead to work on some more biographical studies along the lines of their very successful portrait of Ngaio Marsh. First step is to draw up a list of “possibles” for the series New move to have continuity announcers heard but not seen on commercial nights has some viewers up in arms. Rumour is that the Wellington experiment could be extended to other channels soon. Make your protest now.... Producer Christopher Bourn’s programme on cricketer John Reid took six months’ work to compile -an indication that much as sportlovers would like to see more of these programmes, they cannot be turned out overnight. But think of' all the sports “greats” awaiting similar treatment ..... John Terris’ Topic scored well first time round, with political heavyweights Holyoake and Kirk being put on the spot by Mitchell and Harrison. A face to face confrontation would have been even better.... Round head office it is being suggested that during the election campaign a certain amount of television time will be allocated to each main party, and they will be able to make up their own minds on how to use it. Good idea? Auckland Studio chat-CATCH
CHRISTCHURCH
One Chris comes and another goes. Handsome newcomer with CH/TV3 is 20-year-old Chris Whitta, who has set aside law studies temporarily and joined the NZBC a couple of months ago. A trained baritone with a liking for Schumann, Whitta is keen on cricket and football and besides currently restoring a car, is making the bobby-soxers (as well as elder sisters) sit up and take notice when he appears as a personable continuity man ...... Chris Williams, who was producing for Channel 3, has headed home to America...... Once the youngest continuity announcer in Christchurch, Joan Palmer, now 21, is charming millionaire guests in London’s Hilton Hotel in Park Lane on the closed circuit channel which is on the air daily in the early morning and again from 11 pm. to 2 am. She and Hylda Bamher, who was with the NZBC and did a stint on DNTV2, don’t mingle with the guests, but find the job more informal than they have been accustomed to. They can aid-lib and also handle commercials aimed at the hotel’s exclusive clientele ...... Winds of. change have been blowing for Channel 3 viewers in recent times with new programme‘s - some hot, some cold ...... Gone but not for- gotten, Steed and Emma, Janet and her doctors, but there’s been no news of a wake following the demise of Petticoat Junction.
Dunedin
Alison Holst is really having a productive year-besides her popular Here's How session, she has a book to be released in a few months’ time, and she’s expecting a baby later in the year!... David England is DNTV2’S newest full-time newsreader -a musical young man David, with interests in the Male Choir and also an accomplished organist . . . Glenis Sparrow, receptionist at DNTV2 has the “go West” urge like so many other NZBC staffers, and she’s off to Brisbane where she hopes to “recept in an hotel . . . TV technician Jenny Henderson has bought herself a ‘new Riley Elf, and TV technician Marion Craighead is sporting a new Triumph Herald. They’re driving the boys crazy - not with their road manoeuvres, but with envy . . . Maureen Little, a comparative newcomer to DNTV2’s continuity announcers is a girl who knows her “funiculis and funiculas.” Having lived for some time in Italy, Maureen has a handy working knowledge of Italian, and modestly admits that her French is “passable” too. So this is DNTV2 closing down with a “buona notte and a “bon soir.” Correct us if we’re wrong, Maureen.
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