10 Adelaide station turns 60

ADS-10 in Adelaide is celebrating its 60th anniversary today.

The station began as ADS-7 on 24th October 1959.

In the late 1980s it was bought by Kerry Stokes, who planned to buy the Seven Network from John Fairfax. Stokes offered $100 million more than rival Christopher Skase for Seven, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Unable to build a metropolitan Seven television network, Stokes sold ADS, CTC-7 in Canberra and his licence for NEW Perth to Northern Star Holdings, owners of Network Ten in 1987.

To mark its anniversary, 10 News First looks back how ADS has covered the events which have shaped the station and the state across that time.

Network 10’s executive editor, Adelaide Fiona Clark (who has been with ADS 10 for more than two decades) said: “The faces may change, and the technology forever speeds up and improves, but our passion for reporting on what matters to the community in which we live is no different now than it was for our pioneering colleagues six decades ago. We’re proud of our ADS heritage, but we’re also energised about the decades still to come.”

Network 10’s general manager, Adelaide Frank Filosi (who was been with ADS 10 for almost 34 years, including during the call-sign switch) said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating 60 years of informing, engaging, entertaining the people of South Australia. We’ve achieved so much together.

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the South Australian community and sponsors for their unnerving and valuable support over the last 60 years. I also want to thank the Network 10 executive team for their continued belief and investment in what we do. And most importantly, I wanted to thank the staff of ADS 10, past and present, for their passion and hard work day in and day out to make the ADS 10 operation such a success.”

The report features rare archival footage of the early days of television news-gathering in Adelaide, as well as interviews with staff members from across the decades. Some of them who are still with ADS, have been on the news front line in South Australia for more than half those 60 years.

From the Beatles visit in 1964 which attracted their biggest street crowd ever for the band, to the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 to the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power premierships – ADS 10 experienced the highs and lows of every major event with its community.

The biggest event for the station happened in 1987 when its call-sign switched from the Seven Network to Network 10 – a moment also covered in the 60th anniversary report. While national programs switched over, locally produced shows like its local news program remained, continuing its role in engaging and informing the community.

10 News First – ADS 60 Special Report
Thursday 24 October from 5.00pm.