After four-years of legal wrangling to get government approval to introduce a commercial television station TV3 started broadcasting to New Zealanders - first with a Gala Opening broadcast on the evening of Sunday 26th November.
Scheduled daily broadcasts started 27th November 1989 with The Early Bird Show.
The NZ Herald reported "The 14-year-old getting a fish out of a dishwasher in TV3's very-first opening credits was me," says actor/director/Sunrise host Oliver Driver. Cut to a breakfast-news bulletin fronted by Joanna Paul (now Paul-Robie).
"The fact that TV3 was prepared for its first face to be a Māori face was an indescribable high for me as a broadcaster, a woman and a Māori," she says. After kids' programmes, dating show Perfect Match led into the countdown to 3 National News. Veteran newsreader Philip Sherry delivered a word-perfect bulletin.
The only glitch, as legend has it, was the transition to Genevieve Westcott-fronted A Current Affair at 6.30pm, when the entire screen was momentarily coloured green. It was a frenetic day for bureau chief Keith Slater. "It was difficult enough getting the first programme to air but then after a few drinks came the sobering realisation that we had to do it all again the next day, and the next."
In preparation for their establishment TV 3 had brought nine transmitter units from the Nippon Electrical Company in Japan at a cost of $9.2 million. One unit: was sold to TVNZ for use in Northland, but the other eight were set up around New Zealand in time for the first transmission.
The TV3 network tested all its signals on November 12, followed by a national tune-in day on November 18.
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