TV Coverage in the 1980s

[db120176]

This article on Winton Motor Raceway states that the 1985 ATCC opener was the first round to be televised by Channel 7:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winton_Motor_Raceway

Co-incidentally 1985 was the first year I became interested in Touring Cars as a 9 year old (can remember Bathurst being on the telly prior but nothing else). While I realise Wikipedia's facts are checked, then re-checked, then checked again (tongue firmly in cheek), I wanted to see if this was correct.

If it is correct, who else broadcast the championship prior to this? Was it on an adhoc basis or did the whole championship belong to one network?

[NewsStalker]

First ATCC round or first ATCC round from Winton?

[xrystl]

The ABC used to telecast it before seven ,and they were quite useless at it - I remember waiting for the telecast to start one Sunday in the late seventies (was live) and the ABC crew never showed up at the track so they just replayed the previous round .

[William Dale Jr]

It was definitely not the first round to be televised by Channel 7; off the top of my head, they covered the Calder round in 1983, and probably any rounds run at Calder and Amaroo Park in the early '80s.

1985 would be the first time Channel 7 would cover the entire ATCC, starting with Winton as Round 1.

[NewsStalker]

Now it has been mentioned, that ABC 'oldies' program (can't recall its real name) that was televised 18 months or so ago showed a number of ATCC rounds - including early Sandown and a few from Warwick Farm - so that dates it to at least 1973 and earlier for the ABC.

[PVDA]

Up til 1985 the ABC covered the series (1983 & 1984 at least).

Winton was the first round in 1985, was the first Group A round, was the first under the Ch7 umbrella and the firsttime I set foot into Winton as a spectator. I cant remember seeing any coverage of it that night except highlights at the next round coverage as I used to religiously record them.

[racer69]

Prior to 1983 most of the championship rounds were shown, generally split between Channel 7 and ABC (the tracks did their own TV deals for each round)

For instance Channel 7 televised the 1981 ATCC finale from Lakeside (Johnson v Brock for the title), and also showed a few 1982 rounds (Rd1 from Sandown on the "Champions of Motorsport" meeting for instance)

ABC also showed 1981 & 1982 rounds, and had also shown ATCC rounds earlier, like Symmons Plains 1980 (Dick Johnson watched the telecast and it helped him decide how competitive an XD Falcon could be), and the 1979 ATCC decider from AIR between Brock & Morris

1983 was the first time CAMS did a contract for the entire ATCC to be covered, the deal went to the ABC. However Channel 7 did show the first round of the 1983 ATCC from Calder as they had a contract with Bob Jane. After that the remaining rounds were shown by ABC (as well as coverage of qualifying). This continued throughout 1984 as well.


1985 the TV deal for the ATCC went to 7. This as mentioned certainly wasn't the first time Channel 7 showed an ATCC round, but was the first time they were showing the entire ATCC throughout the year.

Funny thing is i've been told Channel 7 didn't really show the 1985 Winton round, apart from some short highlights during their live coverage from Rd2 at Sandown??

[chavez]

Originally Posted by xrystl

The ABC used to telecast it before seven ,and they were quite useless at it - I remember waiting for the telecast to start one Sunday in the late seventies (was live) and the ABC crew never showed up at the track so they just replayed the previous round .

The same thing happened with SBS and the Thunderdome.

The delayed telecast of the Saturday was to be shown on Sunday.

John Smailes opened the show on Sunday by saying due to "technical difficulties" the previous nights racing can't be shown.

The "technical difficulties" being that someone at SBS forgot to mark the date down in their diary.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by db120176

If it is correct, who else broadcast the championship prior to this? Was it on an adhoc basis or did the whole championship belong to one network?

It was adhoc but in most cases all the rounds were shown. I've read elsewhere there is a full set of the 1978 ATCC in a private collection , though they aren't keen to pass it round.

[NewsStalker]

Originally Posted by chavez

The same thing happened with SBS and the Thunderdome.

The delayed telecast of the Saturday was to be shown on Sunday.

John Smailes opened the show on Sunday by saying due to "technical difficulties" the previous nights racing can't be shown.

The "technical difficulties" being that someone at SBS forgot to mark the date down in their diary.

Sounds more like an urban myth than fact. Don;t recall there being a race, during the period SBS were contracted to cover the races, that they never turned up. (From memory, it was Global TV wasn't it doing the actual coverage?)

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by db120176

While I realise Wikipedia's facts are checked, then re-checked, then checked again (tongue firmly in cheek), I wanted to see if this was correct.

Don't complain. Contribute. It is within your power to make it better and less of an object of ridicule.

[Falcadore]

That having been said, the Winton article is certainly one of the poorer quality articles. Reads more as a collection of a disparate facts(factoids?) than something that has been cohesively written.

[chavez]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

Sounds more like an urban myth than fact. Don;t recall there being a race, during the period SBS were contracted to cover the races, that they never turned up. (From memory, it was Global TV wasn't it doing the actual coverage?)

Wish is was urban myth. I"d have to do some digging but I am pretty sure I've still got the ill fated telecast somewhere. I think it was the last round of the 95/96 season, but I am willing to stand corrected.

[Sultan]

Originally Posted by racer69

Funny thing is i've been told Channel 7 didn't really show the 1985 Winton round, apart from some short highlights during their live coverage from Rd2 at Sandown??

Unless my mind is playing tricks (which could very well be the case!), I seem to recall that race being shown on the day.

The highlight of the race was a highly spirited battle between Crighton in the 2nd JPS 635, Bond (or was it AJ) in the Alfa GTV6 & third car which I'm drawing a blank on - I must be getting old!!!

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Sultan

Unless my mind is playing tricks (which could very well be the case!), I seem to recall that race being shown on the day.

The highlight of the race was a highly spirited battle between Crighton in the 2nd JPS 635, Bond (or was it AJ) in the Alfa GTV6 & third car which I'm drawing a blank on - I must be getting old!!!

I hope your right. I was still in nappies when this race took place, i'm just working on what i've been told, plus the fact that all footage of the 1985 ATCC rounds seem to be around, except for the Winton opener.

[Arney]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

Now it has been mentioned, that ABC 'oldies' program (can't recall its real name) that was televised 18 months or so ago showed a number of ATCC rounds - including early Sandown and a few from Warwick Farm - so that dates it to at least 1973 and earlier for the ABC.

Late night Legends on ABC2, I believe the "oldies" show you are refering to.
I live in regional Queensland and through the 70's and early 80's you had to rely on the ABC for your televised motor racing (appart from the annual Bathurst on the one and only commercial station).
I remember ABC covering some ATCC events through the late 70s and they did cover most of the Sandown Hang ten 400s.
The Chevron collection of Classic Australian Touring cars have been good to watch. Can't wait for them to bring out some more volumes.
Does anyone know if there will be more dvds coming in future?

[DRG]

The 1985 ATCC opener from Winton was definitely not shown on the day. Ch 7 showed 10-15 min highlights on the following week's "Sportsworld" program and replayed them again during coverage of the second round at Sandown.

[Kingair]

In the 1980's Tasmania only had ABC and two commercial TV Stations, TNT Channel 9(no relation to Packers 9) in the North and TVT Channel 6 in the South and the two commercial stations took a pick from Melbournes Channel 0, 7 and 9. Both commercial networks showed the Hang Ten 400 from Sandown and Bathurst, some packages of motor racing highlights and then on a Sunday night we got the Formula 1.

TNT Channel 9 also showed the the Australian Grand Prix when it was held at Calder each year. I can also recall the local ATTC at Symmons Plains being telivised but not replayed locally until the Monday night, likewise we would get a very edited package of the ATTC from the mainland rounds normally late Sunday or Monday night around 11pm and very occasionally if it did not interfere with the VFL game of the day we might get the odd round live on the Sunday!

However I can recall the Better Brakes series from Amaroo Park being played on a Sunday afternoon, being called by the likes of Mike Raymond, Will Hagen and a few other guys. It was a fantastic series and certainly seemed to have all the big names Brock, Moffat, Johnson, Bartlett and a few hard chargers like Steve Masterton, Bo Seton and a few other privateers from around the Sydney area.

I can also remember in the very late 70's watching some sportscar racing including Alan Grice driving the Corvair, but can only remember it being in black and white, but in those days a lot of people still had black and white TV.

The Yanks may have put man on the moon, but Aussie's put the Racecam into the racecars. I can still remember Peter Williamson in the green Celica taking us over the mountain for the first time and then down through Skyline, and Mike Raymond talking to him and Peter Williamson talking him through the track. Likewise later on Dick Johnson talking on racecam.

I think someone did some TV coverage of Liverpool Speedway as a bit of an experiment.

I always thought that Kerry Packer might have done something with motor racing through his Nine Network, a bit like what he did with WSC cricket.

Somwhere in the archives my Dad has Super8 movie of Baskerville in the very early 1960's.

[Chatters]

Originally Posted by Kingair

we would get a very edited package of the ATCC from the mainland rounds normally late Sunday or Monday night around 11pm and very occasionally if it did not interfere with the VFL game of the day we might get the odd round live on the Sunday!

Wow, nearly 25 years on and that's about the level of coverage we get in Adelaide! I can't imagine how good it will be in another 25 years, we might even get the telecast at the same time the East Coast gets it!!

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Kingair

I always thought that Kerry Packer might have done something with motor racing through his Nine Network, a bit like what he did with WSC cricket.

Packer supposedly had a crack at the Bathurst rights circa-1979, but the ARDC was watertight with Channel 7.

They showed the 1980 Australian Grand Prix from Calder (even flew in Jackie Stewart to call it), and then in 1981 concentrated on international stuff, like F1, then the Indy500, then in mid-1988 taking over the 500cc from SBS. They did get involved in some local telecasting as well.