NZ's first official 'live' television broadcast after a series of trials was on Wed 1 June 1960

The New Zealand Broadcasting Service (NZBS) transmitted from 74 Shortland St in Auckland

The TV transmission was broadcast on AKTV, Channel 2, from 7.30pm-10.30pm & could only be viewed in Auckland

The broadcast featured an episode each from two British & two American shows, & two items of local content

Shows: 'The adventures of Robin Hood', 'Your children's eyes' (UK) & 'The halls of ivy' & 'Four just men' (US)

British ballerina Beryl Grey was interviewed when visiting NZ

A performance by the Howard Morrison Quartet was filmed

Film crew recording the Harrison Morrison Quartet

Three more TV stations were set up: Christchurch (June 1961), Wellington (1 July 1961) & Dunedin (31 July 1962)

Christchurch (CHTV3), Wellington (WNTV1) & Dunedin (DNTV2)

Each of the 4 TV stations then set up relay stations in their own region to transmit programmes

Programmes were transported to each TV station for transmitting

A programme would screen first on WNTV1, then AKTV2, then CHTV3 and then DNTV2

Under the Broadcasting Corporation Act 1961, the NZBC was formed on 1 April 1962

The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation took control of the 4 TV stations & 35 radio stations

Skylines began to be altered with wires and pipes - a television aerial

1967: A lithograph of houses with windows lit by televisions

TV sets became available to purchase in stores

In August 1962, Arthur Barnett’s was advertising Westminster TVs for sale at £179/10/- which was a luxury item then

However, the cost of TVs led to some firms beginning to rent TV sets

One rental firm was Dominion Television Services which began renting in April 1962. (Image: "Majestic" television set)

1960s: Black & white TV sets for sale in a showroom at Champion Radio and TV Sales and Service, Mt Roskill

1960s: Champion TV sets with indoor aerials

A TISCO technician watching a dial while he winds on the coil for a V receiver (March 1966)

New TV translator was set up to beam WNTV1 into Gisborne, Wairoa, and East Coast homes in 1968

1968: Control panel in television switching area at NZBC studios in Shortland St

With the establishment of the Warkworth satellite station in 1971, New Zealand could communicate live overseas

NZ adopted BBC's non-commercial broadcasting & introduced annual TV licence (£6 10s) in Aug 1960 to cover costs

(The licence fee was abolished in 1999 & main funding for NZ's free-to-air channels comes from adverts)

To provide additional funding, commerclais were introduced in 1961

(Ian Watkins directs a TV commercial for Keans Jeans in the NZBS AKTV-2 studios in Shortland Street, Auckland in 1961)

Advertising was 7 mins per hour for half the week, whilst remainder of the week was ad-free

Gordon Dryden's foray into TV presenting began with hosting the Auckland show "Sportsroom" in 1961

Newsreel gave highlights of the first test between France vs New Zealand (1961)

A helicopter being filmed by a TV news crew (1962)

Mid-evening news bulletin "NZBC reports" (1963–69) which then became known as "NZBC Network News" until 1975

Radio & television announcer Edwina Rumford-Myer (1964)

Radio announcer & opera singer, Turi Uru joined CHTV3 in Oct 1964 after living in England - first Māori TV presenter

Marama Koea (later Martin) began continuity television announcing in 1965

'Town and Around, 1965-1970

Ian Johnstone was the first host of "Town and Around"

"Here is the News" (NZ On Screen recaps three decades up to 1992)

NZBC reporters conducted interviews with survivors of the Wahine ferry after it sank on 10 April 1968

"Gallery" which had interviews with public & political figures, 1968 - 1973

NZBS vehicle (1962)

WNTV1 documentary filmed at Wallaceville (1964) unit

Documentary "Islands of the Gulf" where Shirley Maddock visits Waiheke Island in 1964

"The men on the hill" series featured six politicians (1965)

"The Men on the Hill" interviewer was Austin Mitchell (Image: 1st episode with Prime Minister Keith Holyoake, Sept 1965)

"This Country - New Zealand" was a half-hour documentary filmed in 1965. Scenes around NZ included Barry Crump.

"Country Calendar", 1966 - ongoing

AKTV2 film unit at Cornwallis Wharf (1967)

NZBC documentary "Actors' Workshops" (1967)

'Time out for talent" (1961) helped launch Ray Columbus who then had his own show "Club Columbus" in 1962

Singer Mavis Rivers with the Crombie Murdoch trio during a TV show in the NZBC studios in Shortland Street (ca 1963)

Pacific Island cultural performers on the set of a television show in NZBC studios in Shortland Street (ca 1963)

NZBC'S "Let's go" pop series (1965)

National talent quest "Have a Shot" hosted by John Maybury aired from 1961 until replaced by "New Faces" in 1965

WNTV-1 "Golden Girls" series with Maria Dallas (1967)

C'mon was fronted by Peter Sinclair

The C'mon show led to the artists touring venues in NZ (Image: 1967)

Studio One TV show "Love, Hate, Revenge" with the band the Avengers (1969)

'A Girl to Watch Music By' was a six-part series, with each episode showcasing a popular female singer or act (1969)

"In the Nature of Things": Christchurch zoologist Ron Walton delivered science lessons to children, 1964-1977

"The Alpha Plan" was NZ's first drama with more than one episode. Six episodes were filmed in 1969.

"In view of the circumstances" (1969) was NZ's first TV comedy show in which Dave Smith acted

NZ On Screen (1985): 25 Years of Television (shown in four parts)

NZ On Screen (2010): 50 Years of New Zealand Television

NZ On Screen (2019): "Making New Zealand - Broadcasting" looks at evolution of radio & TV in NZ (44:06 mins)