A History of Regional Commercial Television in Australia

‘Monumental and elegantly constructed … an extraordinary tale of opportunities won and lost.’

– Sue Turnbull, University of Wollongong, Australia
‘An impeccably researched, wide-ranging study of one of Australia’s most overlooked but dynamic media sectors.’
– Bridget Griffen-Foley, Macquarie University, Australia

‘A major contribution to the field of media and television history.’

– Jamie Medhurst, Aberystwyth University, UK

This book is the first history of commercial television in regional Australia, where diverse communities are spread across vast distances and multiple time zones. The first station, GLV Latrobe Valley, began broadcasting in December 1961. By the late 1970s, there were 35 independent commercial stations throughout regional Australia, from Cairns in the far north-east to Bunbury in the far south-west. Based on fine-grained archival research and extensive interviews, the book examines the key political, regulatory, economic, technological, industrial, and social developments which have shaped the industry over the past 60 years. Regional television is often dismissed as a mere extension of – or footnote to – the development of Australia’s three metropolitan commercial television networks. Michael Thurlow’s study reveals an industry which, at its peak, was at the economic and social heart of regional communities, employing thousands of people and providing vital programming for viewers in provincial cities and small towns across Australia.
 
Michael Thurlow is a media scholar and historian with a PhD from Macquarie University, Australia. He is a former regional commercial television journalist, presenter, and producer.