ABC report from 1955-56

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TELEVISION

Preparations for the establishment of the national television service have gone steadily forward throughout the year in close co-operation with the Post. master-General’s Department and in accordance with the Government’s directive of September 10, 1954, which appointed the ABC as the authority to provide the programmes for the national television service and was embodied in the «Broadcasting» and Television Act 1942.56, proclaimed to commence on July 1st, 1956

In both Sydney and Melbourne work began on the erection of studios and detailed arrangements were completed with overseas manufacturers for the delivery of studio technical equipment. A good deal of time has been devoted to the training of production personnel to ensure that from the outset we shall be able to present the maximum number of I ye programmes with «Australian» artists that available studios and technical facilities will permit. The BBC readily arranged for enrolment of members of our staff at their various training courses throughout the year, and those officers who completed these courses—many of them having travelled overseas at their own expense—were able on their return to assist at the TV training school established by the ABC its Sydney.

After a series of basic familiarisation courses attended by members of the staff drawn from all departments the first advanced training workshop was held in April under the direction of Mr. Rudy Bretz, an American TV expert with a world-wide reputation as a teacher of TV production techniques. Basic

TV training was also provided for officers from the Meteorological Bureau, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Immigration. During this training period the opportunity was taken to rehearse a wide variety of programmes ranging from dramatic productions and puppet shows for children to discussions on social and economic problems, news bulletins and weather reports.

At the Royal Melbourne Show in September «1955» , TV demonstrations were presented from the ABC’s studio and on each day of the Royal Agricultural Society’s Sydney Show in March and April special programmes were transmitted to receiving sets displayed by leading manufacturers in various pavilions within the Showgrounds.

During the year several senior officers from the Programme and Technical divisions were sent abroad to study the practices and organisation of overseas TV services, especially the BBC and CBC, and to arrange for the supply of film of news material and general interest programmes.

Dote?, singer, Mule Mace, at ABC-TV studio, Sydney Royal Situ.

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Negotiations have continued for the hiring of TV films from overseas pro-ducers and Government agencies and several agreements have been finalised. From the BBC we have arranged to take the best of the programme material that can be released for use in Australia; this includes a large number of docu-mentary films, including the highly acclaimed series “ War in the Air,” together

with a number of specially devised children’s programmes. We have endeavoured, as far as possible, to encourage local film producers to make films for television on «Australian» subjects, and with this aim a contract was signed with Mr. Charles Chouvel—one of the pioneers of «Australian» film

making—giving the ABC the «Australian» rights to a series of half-hour film programmes under the title “This is Australia.” The BBC has acquired the U.K. rights. Material for this series is now being filmed by Mr. Chauvel in the Northern Territory and the first programmes will be televised early in 1957.

Recruitment of non-technical staff has begun in both Sydney and Melbourne and negotiations are proceeding with Actors’ Equity and the Musicians’ Union regarding the terms and conditions which will apply to the engagement of members of these Unions for TV programmes.



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Overseas broadcasters have continued their generous assistance and co-operation in our various activities. To the BBC especially we are graceful for their invaluable help in the development of our national television service. Enrolment was readily arranged for members of our staff in the BBC television training courses and every facility provided for their full instruction.

We are grateful also to the Canadian «Broadcasting» Corporation, for much generous and expert help to many ABC officers in the highly specialised field of television. To many other «broadcasting» organisations in Europe and the U.S.A. we owe our thanks and appreciation for their kindly welcome to our officers and their care in informing them of every latest improvement in technique and practice adopted in their several television services. Amongst such European organisations are Radiodiffusion.Television, Francaise, Norddeutscher Rund. funk, Radiotelevisione Italians, Nederlandse Televisie Srichting, the Institut National Beige de Radiodiffusion and the Danish State Radio; and in the U.S.A. the Columbia «Broadcasting» System, the National «Broadcasting» Company, the American «Broadcasting» Company and other television organisations in. cluding WOR.TV New York, KGO,, KPIX and KRON in San Francisco and

WBAP at Fort Worth. We also wish to acknowledge the co-operation of the South African Broadcasting» Corporation, the New Zealand «Broadcasting» Service, All India Radio, Radio Pakistan and Radio Ceylon, with all of which our relations are close and friendly. In addition, we should like to thank «broadcasting» organisations in South-East Asia, including Radio Malaya, Radio Indonesia,

Radio Sarawak, The Voice of Burma, Radio Sabah, the Thai National «Broadcasting» Service and other bodies, which have given us most valuable assistance, either directly or through our Representative in South-East Asia. We: cordially thank the members of the Postmaster-General's staff for their collaboration in supplying the technical facilities for our broadcasts and in particular for their care in ensuring that the equipment for the television studios should meet our fullest requirements.