Timeline of Australian Television - 1970s

1970s

1971

• 18 June: VEW-8 Kalgoorlie begins broadcasting.
• 13 August: ABD-6 launches as Darwin's first television station.
• 11 September: ITQ-8 Mount Isa begins broadcasting.
• 22 November: A Current Affair, hosted by Mike Willesee, makes its first appearance on the Nine Network.
• 11 November: NTD-8 is officially launched by Administrator of the Northern Territory, Fred Chaney.

1972

• 13 March: Soap opera Number 96 debuts, heralding the night 'Australian television lost its virginity'
• 20 March: Brisbane channel BTQ7 claims Australia's first one-hour news bulletin, The Big News

1974

• 29 August: GSW-9 Albany begins broadcasting as a relay of VEW-8 Kalgoorlie.
• October: Colour test transmissions begin on Australian television.
• 8 November: Countdown begins on ABC.

1975

• 1 March: At midnight, colour television is introduced across the country. The main networks celebrate with their own unique slogan - Come to Colour (ABC TV), Seven Colors Your World (Seven Network), Living Color (Nine Network) and 0 - First in Color (0-10 Network).

1976

• 20 November: RTS-5A Loxton launches in the Riverland district.

1977

• 21 January: GTW-11 Geraldton begins broadcasting, completing the roll-out of regional commercial television across Australia.
• 24 September: The Victorian Football League Grand Final is broadcast live to viewers in Melbourne for the first time.

1979

• 11 February: Current affairs program 60 Minutes debuts on the Nine Network.
• 7 April: The Special Broadcasting Service begins test transmissions on ABV-2 Melbourne and ABN-2 Sydney, with foreign-language programming shown on Sunday mornings.