From the New Zealand TV Weekly. 9th May 1966
Auckland
Big talking point in Auckland is, if a "pirate" radio station does start, will a "pirate" TV station be far behind? Some folk maintain that a narrow strip of the comparatively sheltered Firth of Thames would be a little more than three miles from each shore and thus outside the limits ... Producer Bryan Easte is becoming one of the busiest characters around the studio, and being allocated an odd variety of jobs, from pop shows to the Easter St. Matthew Passion ... Don't scratch the paint on that blue Morris 1100 or you will be crossing swords with Jill-of-all-trades Joyce Cronin .... Funny the way they searched for an anchor man for Town and Around and ended up back in their own backyard with bearded Keith Bracey Independent producer Harry Reynolds is keeping an interested eye on his son's progress towards a flying career... How many more minor postponements will there be before the big new studio is ready for full use? Wonder why the film about the voyage of the catamaran Rehu Moana is being so long delayed in reaching the screen ... Pioneer TV columnist and also show biz author John Berry has now quit such chores. Too busy in his berth with a PR firm.
Wellington
Senior announcer Bill Leathwick, familiar as a newsreader of WNTV1 and also as the man-in-charge from time to time of 2ZB's Breakfast Session, compered the Royal variety concert in Wanganui. He's the proud father of a baby daughter... Nigel Bingham, who ably chaired Right of Reply last year, has not yet been given another on-camera role. He's moved from his sub-editorial desk to a reporting round in Wellington. Nigel, who came to NZBC after experience in the Kenya Broadcasting Service, could be used again this winter in some of the programmes now being formulated in Head Office... .Wellington's new transmitter mast on 1,450 ft. high Mt. Kau Kau, behind Khandallah, is fast becoming a new landmark in the capital. The tower, which will rise 400 feet, is being erected by an eight-man team from the Furukawa Electric Company, Japan, and is due to be finished by the end of this month, So far there have been no delays-although winds of more than 23 miles an hour on the rigging are considered unsafe (it sometimes blows at 100 mph on this peak). New transmitting equipment is being supplied by Marconi. First transmissions will be beamed from Kau Kau about the end of August, the NZBC says.
CHRISTCHURCH
The entry of Michael Scott into the CHTV3 scene underlines the point that as far as NZBC-TV staff is concerned the traffic is not all one way-overseas. While it is true that a number of NZBC-TV people have headed and are still heading overseas, it is equally true that quite a number of very experienced men are coming into the country to join the NZBC. Scott, formerly a BBC producer, is one of them and he is now steering Channel 3's producer team. Stanley Hosgood is yet another former BBC man doing an excellent job in Christchurch as sports producer with some really good O.B. programmes to his credit. Among the latest was the CHTV3-sponsored junior swimming carnival that provided excellent Saturday afternoon viewing.. A snap survey done recently by columnist "Libra," who writes on advertising in the Christchurch-published monthly magazine Industry, should provide some thought-provoking material for TV advertisers. In a recent issue, under the heading. The Product and the Gimmick,
he wrote that the gimmick might over-shadow the product itself. To illustrate his point, he noted the results obtained when he put two questions to each of ten housewives. First was: What cleans like a white tornado? Two knew the name of the product; eight said it was a cleaner, but didn't know its name. Second question: What cleans like liquid lightning? One knew, two were doubt-fully correct, five knew it was a cleaner and one didn't. Significant point: All used one or the other of these household cleaners!
DUNEDIN
How now? No more will Dunedin's children and other DNTV2 viewers be welcomed at opening of transmission by John Blumsky's friendly "How?" This has been John's trademark during his time as DNTV2 continuity announcer, newsreader, compere for Have a Shot and host for a quiz programme. But it's turned out to be an Indian sign for local viewers since John is abandoning TV altogether for a new post as Announcer in Charge at Wanganui. John, Julie and their four children are very happy about the move, but we hope NZBC-TV won't lose sight of his television potential altogether... DNTV2 loses Ross Fenton too, to Tokoroa, where he is to be Station Manager. Although Ross has been mainly concerned with the administration side of TV announcing, he has from time to time appeared on TV since the inception of the station as both newsreader and continuity announcer. Dougal Stevenson, newsreader and upcoming OB commentator, will add to DNTV2's audience this month when wife Caroline presents him with the first Stevenson bairn... Boots O'Brien is back on the DNTV2 directing team after a valuable sojourn in Britain with BBC-TV. It's always most encouraging when NZBC wanderers return to roost with over-seas experience behind them.
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