65 years ago, on September 5, 1959, Adelaide’s first television station, NWS9, went to air, live from the Tynte Street, North Adelaide studios.
OG kid’s character Humphrey B. Bear paid a visit to the station now in Pirie Street to cut the cake with station staff.
Originally owned by News Limited’s Rupert Murdoch (hence the “NWS”), Nine were pioneers of television broadcasting in South Australia.
Nine was very lucky to make it to air on September 5 due to a fire on June 30 that destroyed the studios and props bay. The heat from the fire warped many of the remaining roof beams, and the builders and engineers worked around the clock to get everything ready.
Night one saw Kevin Crease as the first station personality on air in South Australia, live from one of the only rooms not impacted by the fire —the women’s dressing room.
There were plenty of Australian firsts at NWS9:
The first children’s program – The Cabbage Quiz
The first regular live morning program
The first locally produced drama
The first regular variety show – Adelaide Tonight
The first female newsreader – Caroline Ainsley
The first female Program Director – Pat Gardner
Nine’s very first rundown looked like this:
14:30 – Cartoons and short features
15:00 – Roy Rogers: Silver Spurs
16:00 – Cartoons and short features
17:30 – Western Theatre: Timber Trail
18:30 – The Lilli Palmer Show
19:00 – Feature: This is Channel Nine, including a goodwill message from SA Premier Sir Thomas Playford
19:30 – State Trooper
20:00 – The Fred Astaire Spectacular
21:00 – Feature Film: Wild Blue Yonder
22:30 – The Webb
23:00 – News and Epilogue
NWS9 has been responsible for some of Australia’s most iconic television programs throughout the last 65 years:
Adelaide Tonight (10-time Logie winner)
Country and Western Hour (2-time Logie winner)
Woodies Teen Time
The Channel Niners
The Curiosity Show
Here’s Humphrey (3-time Logie winner)
C’Mon Kids
KG’s Footy Show
Adelaide Today
Postcards
Talent who called NSW9 home include:
Kevin Crease (Logie winner)
Lionel Williams (Logie winner)
Ernie Sigley (11 Logies, including the 1975 Gold Logie)
Roger Cardwell (Logie winner)
Ian Fairweather
Glenys O’Brien (2-time Logie winner)
Anne Wills (19 Logies, SA’s Most Popular Female Personality 1968-1992)
Bobo the Clown
Joey Moore
Robin Roenfeldt
Humphrey B Bear
Winky Dink
KG Cunningham
Deane Hutton
Rob Morrison
links to content on ABC
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