Behind the Scenes at TVW Channel 7 in the 1980's

In 1982, Richard Ashton wrote an produced a 19 minute video tour of Channel Seven, which is presented by Peter Dean.
It shows an era when programs were still being freighted in by air daily, with courier Fred Hanzel shuttling containers of film and videotape back and forth between the airport and the studios.
The film department's Herbert French was looking after the TVW end of handling and despatch with Bill Beaton the Film Vault Supervisor. Others in the film section at that time were Isabel Bruce and Gerda Rohr, though Fred Hanzel's wife Nell often relieved.
We see activity in TVW's Studio One with production of the 'Late Late Breakfast Show' which was presented by Ted Bull. In the control room we see Bill Snadden looking after the lighting, technical director Tom Creamer, program director Phil Booth and Steve Holden in audio, then in the Newsroom there's the news editor Stuart Joynt and newsreader Peter Waltham. Other staff credited include cameras: Alan Hurley, Lance Bennett, Don Linsay, Tib Lanyi, Ian Markley, Shane Street, Brent Sumner and Marshall Taylor. Audio: Tim Thunder, Phil You'd and Peter Clifford. Videotapes: Norm Bruce. GMX Editor: Glenn Robinson. Technical Directors: Mark Gaynor and Paul Weston. Floor Managers: John Easton and John Peters. Lighting: Brian Grosse, Tim Laffey and Peter Loney. Transmitter: Kevin Reeves. Program Control: Les Johnson. Operations: Sherryl Gardiner and Tracey Ingram. Technical Staff: Kevin Baker, Geoff Finlay, Steve Quartly and Steve Ramsay. Engineering Department: Ross Argyle, Steve Binks, Chris Cant, Geoff McCann and Con Michael. Outside Broadcast: Peter Dales, Chris Ford, John Maker and Jim Tinker. News: Bob Goodall, Norm O'Loughlin and John Rudd.
It was a time when Robert Holmes à Court controlled the station, and soon after in 1983, John Reynolds was Group General Manager for TVW (1983-1985), Bob Hawke became Australia's Prime Minister and former TVW journalist Brian Burke became the Western Australian Premier, Alan Bond's successful America's Cup bid with Australia II ended the longest sporting winning streak in history of 132 years, Bond Corporation bought STW Channel 9, Telethon featured Sammy Davis Jnr., Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch, the 'Late Late Breakfast Show' was presented by Ted Bull, the National Rowing Championships were held in the Canning River, and sadly, Victoria suffered devastation as a result of Ash Wednesday. Peter Waltham then made the move to STW Channel 9 in 1987.

[@petercroft3273]

I worked there in Engineering and Operations 1966 - 1999. I hadn't seen this before, so it's pure nostalgia. All the people I knew. All the old gear! And all the old video faults - ugh. So much better quality and so much easier now. Yes, digital is better, faster and cheaper, but so many jobs are gone.

[@sovietonion72]

Peter Croft Goodness me 33 years!! Fantastic 👍

[@tijhevella-verney3609]

Out of curiosity do you know what happens to the outdated equipment?

[@BBC600]

@@tijhevella-verney3609 Scrapped...

[@rtmpgt]

I wonder i you can help with this one Crofty, My dad used to work in Ops around that time, and I was wondering what happened to the old MARC robot that used to load all the tapes into the D3 machines? I know that there's a museum in the UK that has a MARC available to view and I'd love to get some footage of it at some point. Do you know if it ended up there? The MARC was what I think ended up replacing the CART machine in the early 90s as TVW moved to D3 for its ads. I was only a little tacker when I saw it, but I used to spend hours sitting in front of it watching the arms whizz about and loading tapes in. Apparently the second gantry was disabled because it had way too many issues colliding with the main gantry. I hear that the BBC got a bunch of the D3 machines as part of its operations to migrate from D3 to digital. D3 tapes were notoriously finnicky and fragile.

[@DeafBhoy]

Peter Dean.... Perth television legend 1937 - 2013 R.I.P. :-(

[@skippymaster57]

I also remember working for a number of years at the Telethon, to assist with operational tasks on loan from GWN as I was a Tape Operator and Presentation Co-Ordinator there in the 80's and 90's. Great times then, where it was all tape and film, not Digital files and folders and PC's. Everything was switched live to air and when things went wrong, it was easier to recover and get back on air.

[@scottstrang1583]

I love looking in tape and film library storage areas. it's intriguing to think about whats on those reels.

[@michaelobrien7489]

Marvellous memories of wonderful people. Old 7 = NEW 10.

[@jcburns]

"This is a bit of all right!" @ 7:21

[@retrobilly1986]

Two right.

[@couryhouse]

Great Video showing operations and what was involved to 'make it happen!'

[@steveq]

This was a tour tape. It was played to groups of people prior to being shown around the station. :-)

[@sovietonion72]

I didn't see your name in the credits? How rude, I remember your name from way back in the 80s from the local music show FMTV hosted by Bill Ali and stereo cast on 96fm.

[@sovietonion72]

BTW I just subscribed to your channel 😎

[@BBC600]

Steve Quartly I guess this tape could show off some of the “restricted” areas as well as better explain certain aspects of their operations.

[@JHollowayNetwork]

I like how parts of this uses the "We're with You" theme TVW-7 used during that time, it was also used by SAS Channel 10 Adelaide, and NBN Channel 3 in Newcastle.

[@redtekki]

the theme itself (adopted from RKO/WNAC) was shared between TVW and SAS because they were owned by the same company

[@frankmat]

brilliant! What a blast from the past

[@RCoon72]

thought so cant wait to see more videos

[@CT-vm4gf]

I always wonder what happens to old tech like this when it’s no longer needed.

[@MrLoviepie]

Include camp dance scene...funky

[@eurologic]

Brilliant.

[@JHollowayNetwork]

So this is where the Perth station gets its programs from, but where does the Sydney station (ATN-7) get its programs from?

[@fallinsideahole]

you know, i don't know what i expected to happen when he called for action, but it wasn't that

[@RCoon72]

it was 1987 when peter waltham was lured to channel 9

[@MarkMichaelSalin]

Interesting - they have the same slogan as the former WNAC-TV (now WHDH-TV 7News) in my hometown Boston. Was this 1982, perhaps?

[@psychedelicprawncrumpets9479]

Still looks like the 70s, but yeah 82

[@every1665]

At 11:30 to 11:45 the guy in the brown trousers and headset might be John Eastman. I believe he started as a set builder but also did a bit of everything.

[@watvhistory]

John Easton was an actor and stage manager at the Playhouse Theatre in Perth, whilst also travelling around the country towns with a troop of performers. He became a long time floor manager at TVW7, but is now retired and living in a aged facility.

[@every1665]

@@watvhistory Thank you so much for that info. Much appreciated.

[@every1665]

Oh, and of course the girl is Allison Carrol who used to work at my old bank - the R&I Bank (now Bankwest) in Karrinyup in the early 80's and was a finalist in Miss West Coast. If fact, she may have even won it.

[@watvhistory]

Hi tvw7perth, From talking with Terry Spence, former STW9 news edior, it seems you may be correct.

[@andrewbainbridge1116]

I was tasked with demolishing the majority of the buildings on the TVW7 Tuart Hill site in 2015. It was a bittersweet task to have to undertake, as a Broadcasting and radio enthusiast. But, someone had to do it, so it was destroyed with some form of empathy from myself, knowing we were taking down the first Television facility in Western Australia. Almost everything in this video was destroyed at my hands.

[@xxXXxPagexXXxx]

Steve has hair :O

[@Galvoflysoz]

Go Adam Scott, At 3.40 loading carts..

[@rty1955]

Yes and those carts could hold 6 min of tv not 5. I spent a few weeks learning the Ampex ACR-25. I cringed when the tape operator slammed the tape onto the AVR-1. In my day, that would have gotten you a stern warning from the tape supervisor. I worked on Every Machine AMPEX ever made from the VR-1000 to the VPR series. The VR-2000b and the AVR-1 were the best machines AMPEX made

[@quizmaster85]

TAA - Try Another Airline

[@aspirewot8408]

Very interesting , so basically what you've to study to do this job ? I mean which bachelor's degree

[@kevinbaker1565]

None at all, just training and a good eye!

[@BenHelweg]

? @16:30