Selling off our history.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
As the ramifications of the PBL sell-off become apparent there is now talk that Nine may sell its Sydney and Melbourne studios to finance upgrades to multichannel platforms.
If we lose iconic studios, and it looks likely we will, then this will be a sad chapter in TV history. GTV9 has been home to IMT, The Don Lane Show, Hey Hey Its Saturday, New Faces. TCN9 produced Bandstand, The Mike Walsh Show, The Young Doctors.
But any sale of GTV may have to incorporate the possibility that part of the building could be heritage listed.
A sell-off of GTV land is said to be worth $50M. But wouldn’t it cost more to set up a new studio? The old building was originally a piano factory in 1908, and later Heinz.
But it’s the cavalcade of stars and production that makes GTV a jewel in Melbourne’s crown.
It’s not called Television City for nothing.
3 Responses
This would be tragic. I’ve been in TV for 30 years on and off, primarily in Brisbane, but on National shows. This is cultural heritage, history. We have so precious little of it in this country. So little to look back on. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen. I worked at Global TV at Nunnawadding on Neighbours and on more than one occassion I sat in the control room of the main studio by myself and soaked up the history – all the shows that had come from there. The selling of the Nine’s would be criminal – it would HAVE to be stopped. The MCG is on a nice block of land, and I’m sure it’s worth more than the matches played on it, but would anybody dream of selling it? No difference. This must be stopped.
as much as it would be sad to lose GTV from 22 Bendigo Street given its TV heritage – it is more practical and efficient to do like anonymous suggested and just rely on third party facilities (eg. Global) for major productions and keep the smaller stuff in-house like 7 and 10 have already done. With 9’s current lineup including Foxtel cast-offs (Bargain Hunt & Antiques Roadshow), bogan blokey stuff like The Footy Show and Ralph TV, and 2 year old episodes of Backyard Blitz – what’s the point in spending big bucks on a huge studio? (incidentally, what’s this about Temptation being axed?)
It would cost more to rebuild GTV9 at a new location but in reality GTV9 wont be rebuilt. Given the low level of studio production going on not just at 9 but all the stations in Melbourne, GTV9 would probably follow Channel 10s solution of office space with a small studio for news and programs like QM, Sunday Footy show, Footy Confidential and advertorials in KA. The only time the main studio gets used is for Temptation (which will be shortly axed), the footy show and the nation. These could be shot at a Global studio or at the docklands.