Tomorrow’s Halloween coincides with the 50th anniversary of a historic event in New Zealand history.
Up there with decimalisation and the end of 6pm pub closing, the introduction of colour television on Friday, October 31, 1973 was a significant cultural milestone for our nation.
Black-and-white television had been introduced 13 years earlier, and TV gradually became a staple part of New Zealanders’ recreational time, but in 1973, we had the opportunity to see things in all their multi-hued glory.
We weren’t exactly global leaders. The United States had been offering colour programming since 1953 and the BBC began colour broadcasts in March 1966. David Attenborough, then controller at BBC2, was in charge of overseeing it. Even Colombia, Costa Rica and Czechoslovakia had beaten us to the punch.
But with the eyes of the world, or at least the Commonwealth, about to be pointed towards Christchurch in early 1974, the decision was made to give colour broadcasting the green (blue and red) light.
1973 was a tough year for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (now Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand). Expedience and economics had forced the organisation to reduce regional programming, an unpopular move.
The Press
Mr A. Tunnicliff, 81, and Mrs A. Brown, 91, watch a colour TV at the People’s Palace Hotel, Christchurch, on October 31, 1973. The photo ran on the front page of The Press on November 1 and the accompanying story says, “The New Zealand sports addict will undoubtedly be gratified by what he sees; and women viewers are going to have a high old time with the lavish frocking they will be able to assess”. The same article reported that Roger Douglas, then minister of broadcasting, gave a televised speech before the first colour broadcast, which the Press judged “painstaking and pedantic”
Then it had to persuade viewers to buy new colour-capable television sets, such as the Philips K9, which cost about $1200 (about $18,000 in today’s currency), about one-third of the average annual salary.
On top of that was the $35 broadcasting licence fee for owning a colour television set.
Kiwis may love adopting new technology, but only 8000 sets were installed in homes and hotels ready to receive the first colour television transmissions on the evening of October 31.
An NZPA survey suggested that figure would have been higher if sufficient colour sets had been available. A worldwide shortage of components had restricted supply.
Such was the demand in New Zealand, that the entire 15,000 pre-Christmas output of all five electronics companies assembling colour TVs had been sold.
Dunedin’s Evening Star said on October 31 that “the casual shopper with cash had virtually no hope of buying a set off the shop floor”.
TNS
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was part of the line-up for the first night of colour television in New Zealand.
The chances of renting were slightly better, although anyone after the largest size (26 inches) “wouldn’t have a hope” of getting one before the following March or April, the Auckland manager of one of the largest rental companies told the NZPA.
Among a line-up that included The Doris Day Show, Playschool, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Odd Couple, Zorro and It’s in the Bag, it was reality series Thrill Seekers, a kind of forerunner to That’s Incredible, hosted by former professional baseball player, basketball player, actor and all-around good guy Chuck Conners, that was the first to air in colour, at 7.48pm.
It was preceded by brief speeches by the Minister of Broadcasting, Roger Douglas (yes, the one who would eventually become the Minister for Finance), NZBC chairman Major General Walter McKinnon (father of later deputy prime minister Don McKinnon) and NZBC director-general Lionel Sceats.