GTV (Australia)
| Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Nine |
| Slogan | Welcome Home |
| Channels | Digital: 8 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | Nine (O&O) |
| Owner |
Nine Entertainment Co. (General Television Corporation Pty Ltd) |
| First air date | 27 September 1956 |
| Call letters' meaning |
General Television Victoria |
| Former channel number(s) | 9 (VHF) (analog) |
| Transmitter power | 200 kW (analog) 50 kW (digital) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 37°49′42″S 145°21′12″E / 37.82833°S 145.35333°E |
| Website | 9now.com.au |
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia, owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.
GTV was amongst the first television stations to begin regular transmission in Australia. Test transmissions began on 27 September 1956, introduced by former 3DB radio announcer Geoff Corke, based at the Mt Dandenong transmitter, as the studios in Richmond were not yet ready. The station was officially opened on 19 January 1957 by Victorian Governor Sir Dallas Brooks from the studios in Bendigo Street, Richmond. A clip from the ceremony has featured in a number of GTV retrospectives, in which the Governor advises viewers that if they did not like the programs, they could just turn off.
The Richmond building, bearing the name Television City, had been converted from a Heinz tinned food factory, also occupied in the past by the Wertheim Piano Company (from 1908–1935). A cornerstone, now visible from the staff canteen courtyard, was laid when construction of the Piano factory began.
Eric Pearce was appointed senior newsreader in the late 1960s, after having been the first newsreader at rival station HSV-7. He held that position for almost twenty years. In 1957, GTV-9's first large-scale production was the nightly variety show In Melbourne Tonight ("IMT"), hosted by Graham Kennedy. Kennedy was a radio announcer at 3UZ in Melbourne before being 'discovered' by GTV-9 producer Norm Spencer, when appearing on a GTV telethon. Bert Newton moved from HSV-7 to join Kennedy. IMT continued for thirteen years, dominating Melbourne's television scene for most of that time. It set a precedent for a number of subsequent live variety programmes from the station.
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