South Pacific Television was a television channel in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, which operated between 1976 and 1980.
South Pacific Television first went to air on June 30, 1975. It was the second television network to be established in the country that year, after
Television OneTV1, commonly referred to as TV ONE is the flagship station of state broadcaster TVNZ. TV1's studios are co-located with TVNZ corporate headquarters in Auckland. TV1 is the sister station to TV2 and the two stations have some cross promotion....
went to air on April 1, replacing the former
New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation's (NZBC)Professor Robert Jack made the first broadcast in New Zealand from the University of Otago physics department on 17 November 1921. The first radio station, Radio Dunedin, began broadcasting on 4 October 1922, but it was only in 1925 that the Radio Broadcasting Company began broadcasts throughout...
TV service.
In its first week, the network held New Zealand's first Telethon in aid of the St John's Ambulance.
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South Pacific Television was a television channel in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, which operated between 1976 and 1980.
The Early Days
South Pacific Television first went to air on June 30, 1975. It was the second television network to be established in the country that year, after
Television OneTV1, commonly referred to as TV ONE is the flagship station of state broadcaster TVNZ. TV1's studios are co-located with TVNZ corporate headquarters in Auckland. TV1 is the sister station to TV2 and the two stations have some cross promotion....
went to air on April 1, replacing the former
New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation's (NZBC)Professor Robert Jack made the first broadcast in New Zealand from the University of Otago physics department on 17 November 1921. The first radio station, Radio Dunedin, began broadcasting on 4 October 1922, but it was only in 1925 that the Radio Broadcasting Company began broadcasts throughout...
TV service.
In its first week, the network held New Zealand's first Telethon in aid of the St John's Ambulance. It raised $593,878.
The network could only be picked up in Auckland and Christchurch when the channel first went to air, but it was limited in Christchurch due to a faulty transmitter. It was another three months before the Waikato and Bay Of Plenty got coverage and by late November, the channel was available in Wellington before spreading throughout the rest of the country.
The Second Year
In 1977, broadcasting hours were cut on both channels and as a result South Pacific Television lost sixteen hours of broadcast time a week, forcing the channel to begin its broadcasting day at 3pm.
Network funding was cut for Television One and handed over to South Pacific in a move that bewildered some over at Television One. The effects of the cuts saw programme output on South Pacific increase.
The End Is Near
It was decided in 1979 by the National Government that the channels would be amalgamated under an administration which would end the competition that reared its head in 1975.
South Pacific Television ended transmission on February 14 1980 with a two hour farewell special.
The next day, February 15 1980, Television One and South Pacific Television were dissolved and became Television One and Television Two, under the newly formed
Television New ZealandTelevision New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2 and new media services.-History:...
.
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