The first ABC TV nightly news bulletin was broadcast on 5th November, 1956. The newsreader, James Dibble, went on to present the ABC TV News in Sydney for 27 years; his last bulletin was on June 10, 1983.
When television arrived in Australia the ABC Commissioners were concerned that pictures might trivialise the news and decided that no more than two minutes of film should be included in a 15-minute bulletin. This early news bulletin (from 1958) conforms to this rather stilted style of presentation considered appropriate by the ABC. The minimal use of graphics and live news footage, as well as the newsreader’s accent, are in striking contrast to the way news and current affairs have been presented on television in the decades since the 1950s.
In this bulletin, the news includes reports of conflict between the Indonesian government and Sumatran rebels, an Australian High Court taxation law ruling, cleaning-up after a big storm in Sydney, the discovery of a World War II mass grave in Poland, elections in Sudan, and a report on the state of the international television industry in 1957.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Previously on display
22 April 2019
ACMI Viewing Booths
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
B2001716
Language
English
Audience classification
Mediatheque - all ages (ACMI classified)
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Australian Broadcasting Commission
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Broadcast journalism
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Television broadcasting of news
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels → Archival materials
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels → Newsreels - Australia
Television → Television programs
Television → Television programs → Television programs - Australia
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
Digital Betacam; Master
MOV file H264; ACMI Digital Access Copy - presentation