A new year, a new decade and a new attitude.

What a journey. Two years ago, I set this blog up, on New Years Day, with some "crazy" promises. Wait... I had no crazy promises. But this being our "official" second birthday, I'd thought I'd unveil the next phase, in the blog's evolution (and the "kw" branding's official introduction to this blog, after being "soft-introduced" through the Youtube page in July 2009) and make it "official" that we are Kuttsywood's Couch, with our new "blog image".

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 12-The future: Where will we be in fifteen years time...

As we march to the conclusion of the 50 Years of Brisbane TV series, I thought it would be timely, to end it with a look into the future. After all, the book that detailed the first twenty-five years of the Brisbane industry, On Air, 25 Years Of TV in Queensland, ended with a similar look entitled "The Sky is The Limit", by former Pick A Box champion and Labor politician, Barry Jones. In that look, it predicted things like interactive television, cable TV's emergence, early predictions of digital television, even DVD recorders. People back then, couldn't imagine what the next twenty-five years of technological advances would have turned out, from the early days of the internet, to Web 2.0's massive growth in the late 2000's, they would have still thought of a "Jetsons" future for the 2000's, with flying cars, tube elevators and robot maids back then. But now, as we close the book on Q150, we look forward, to another big celebration, which will bring the state together, fifteen years from now.

Note: This post is a theoretical prediction of the future, and may not represent a true picture of the future.

The highway to hell... 2009 Brisbane ratings.

The title says it all. In a year dominated by axings, sackings, a possible boning, opening of new Gold Coast facilities and the Deal decline, caused by a axing on a completely different channel, it has been literally the highway to hell for Brisbane's TV industry in 2009. From being proud of local content to shunning it in favor of networking the entire schedule from Sydney, from Brian Cahill's return to the newsdesk to Heather Foord's "forced" return to the newsdesk, all while a station abandoned Brisbane, while the traditional home of local content won't pick up the ball and make it theirs. Thus, the "Highway to Hell" reference is apt.

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 11-Brisbane's Own: Fifty Years of Channel 7 Brisbane

Dedicated to Tony Gordon 1955-2001.

If one, is to realise the genesis of the Brisbane TV industry and it's "downfall" in recent years, you must take a look at both sides of the commercial coin. Nine may have done some things wrong, but Seven's turkeys are usually singled out. Why singled out? Simply, because of the legacy the station built, from day one as being the creative force in Brisbane's industry.

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 10-The curtain rises: Brisbane TV Variety

Dedicated to the fallen stars of Brisbane TV variety, in particular: George Wallace Jr (1918-1968), Brian Tait (1927-2007) and Paul Sharratt (1933-2009).

Welcome to another great instalment of 50 Years of Brisbane TV. This month, we are focusing, on what was the lifeblood of our local content for nearly forty years, local variety television.

Local content & (Super) Saturday morning fun.

Seven... It's due.

I am personally fed up, with Seven and it's lack of action on local content.

Local content keeps Queenslanders in jobs, not pretaped advertorials, not 1/2hr long local events, not successful news, not successful programming.

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 9-Kids TV and how it changed the Brisbane industry

Welcome to Part 9 of this blog series, This month, it's all about the kids.

Children's television, has literally been a part of the patchwork quilt of Brisbane telly, since day two of television. That's right day two, August 17, 1959 when "The Channel Niner's" debuted.

BTQ-7's role in the Brisbane area: Part 2-The stations 50th...

As most readers have known, with my recent post, asking Seven to stop turning it's collective back on Brisbane viewers and pour money into BTQ's future, this blog is often very critical of Seven, in a complete 360 of what the "old" media often portrays, which should be standing up for the common viewer, especially in light of recent events, eg. Extra axing.

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 8-Still The One: 50 Years of Brisbane's Channel 9

The wait is over... A golden anniversary is being marked. Welcome to Part 8...

The genesis: TV is coming to Brisbane, a case of when, not if.

When television began in this country nearly fifty-three years ago, it was a purely Sydney-Melbourne medium. Brisbane waited it's turn, until 1958, when the first two licences in Queensland were up for bids (alongside two in Adelaide, what became NWS-9 and ADS-7, later ADS-10 and one in Perth, TVW-7). Of these prized Brisbane commercial TV licences, one was sold to Queensland Television Limited, (what became QTQ-9) and the other to Brisbane TV Limited (which became BTQ-7), and the planning began...

50 Years Of Brisbane TV-The fifty icons of Brisbane TV

It's time to blow out some birthday candles, But that's tomorrow. Welcome to the 50 Years Of Brisbane TV "Super Saturday" where we honour the greats of our industry, and look back on those decisions that define our city's industry. We'll give a promo treat, and some programs that we loved from our home town. And of course, those "Only In Brisbane" moments! The idea for the top 50 (originally a top 20), came from the recent Q150 Icons poll, except, ours was personally selected by this blog's sole editor, Kuttsywood. We start now with the ten greatest personalities from Brisbane, over the last fifty years:

50 years of Brisbane TV: Special Announcement

I remember saying back on June 25, that the 50 Years Of Brisbane TV blog series may not end with the upcoming QTQ fiftieth. Well, I have a major announcement, and...

There will be four more installments, due before the end of 2009!

Also, the "Top 50" list is currently being collated, in preparation for the unveiling on August 15, and lets just say, there is a few surprises, including the "Only In Brisbane" category, which has been broadened to include some fads, that Brisbane took hold of, and our local events, that define what being a Brisbanite is.

The QTQ fiftieth post's title will also be revealed now.

The blogs title will be "Still The One: 50 Years of Brisbane's Channel 9."

Why Still The One? Simply, Nine in Brisbane has gone through some down times in the ratings, on the opposite end of the network scale, during those first fifty years, yet it always will have the bragging rights, as the first commercial station outside Sydney and Melbourne to open, (and incidently the first of the stations turning fifty in 2009 (QTQ-9,BTQ-7,NWS-9,ADS-10 and TVW-7) to mark their birthday) as well as the first TV station in Queensland, hence the old Nine tagline, "Still The One" will always apply to QTQ, no matter what place it finishes in the ratings.

So, sit back on QTQ birthday weekend, and celebrate Brisbane's TV history, with the Top 50, and the QTQ fiftieth post.

(Note: There will be a special post or two soon, talking about my personal vision (not Seven's) of the future of BTQ-7, something that has been a real talking point lately, and what BTQ needs to do for the big 5-0.)

And one more thing: GO! launches soon: Don't forget to rescan your digital recievers!

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 6-Celebrating TV Queensland style, and the ads that we loved!

Welcome to Part 6, of this blog series, where we celebrate Brisbane TV's 50th, but this post will share the mantle with Queensland's 150th birthday of statehood. We are going with a small celebration, of video, of what makes Queensland, Queensland. We'll look at what we like in rugby league, cricket, and of course TV advertising. Some old brands will return, that have sadly left the marketplace since Brisbane TV began, like a recently discovered 1960's sales reel for Bulimba Gold Top beer. We'll look at some tourism ads, that have defined the early 21st century, including the "Not just a sleepy town" promotion for Brisbane. There will be some fast food on the menu, with locally produced ads for KFC (proudly celebrating 40 years in Queensland in 2009) and other restaraunts. All titles are below the videos. But first, we start off with...

50 years of Brisbane TV Part 5: The Gold Coast, Queensland's TV production hub

Dedicated to... Charles "Bud" Tingwell AM, a icon of Australian film and television, who has achieved many honours in his long career, 1923-2009.

This month we have left Brisbane behind again, to this time focus on Queensland's TV production heart, the Gold Coast, and look at it's two distinct roles in the history of the Queensland industry, first being the place where our early stars got away from it all, and second, the film and television sector wanting a piece of "Australia's Hollywood".

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 4-Queensland's regional television stations, the heart of Queensland's rural life.

Dedicated to those regional Queensland viewers who waited nearly thirty years for the same choice as Brisbane TV viewers.

Regional Television Month continues, with this fourth installment, of 50 Years of Brisbane TV, which will leave the big smoke, for a journey down the old bush track, we call memory lane, and stop and remember Queensland's great contribution to regional television.

50 years of Brisbane TV: Part 3-The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin's contribution to Queensland's TV industry.

Dedicated to Steve Irwin 1962-2006



2009, is a year where we don't just reflect on the living legacy of Brisbane (and indeed Queensland) television. We reflect on the fallen stars, who either died too young, like Brisbane TV personality Tony Gordon, who died tragically in a aerobatics accident in 2001, or died after a distinguished career, like former QTQ newsreader Don Seccombe who passed away suddenly in 1993 and BTQ-7's most notable personality from their 1959 launch, Brian Tait who passed away peacefully in late 2007. But one name is sadly part of this list, the person who brought their Queensland experiences into living rooms worldwide. That man is Steve Irwin.

50 Years of Brisbane TV-Part 1 Good night and Goodbye: Farewells from the newsdesk...

Dedicated to Mark "Mawk" Riccardi, [uploader of Marie-Louise Theile's farewell] 1989-2008.

Brisbane is a unique TV market. We were the first metro TV stations north of Sydney. We still cling to our localism like a raft. But we innovate, like no other. Before we get to the farewells, I will talk about some past female newsreaders, and one who is still going strong.

What's coming up in early 2009. Brisbane style...

So 2008's ending...

Lets see, what we have covered here this year...

The retro strategy and how it failed...

This is the symbolic sequel to one of my most popular posts of 2008, Bringing Back Love You Brisbane, but it starts in a strange place, aggregated regional Queensland, in 1995.

Brisbane TV turns 50- My top ten Brisbane TV moments

2009. Brisbane's 150th as a city, Queensland's 150th as a state and Brisbane TV's fiftieth. If one were to pick the greatest moments of our TV industry, our list would be full of interstate imports. But if you restricted that list to moments that affected Queenslanders or brought Queensland to the world, it would be a fine list. So here is my top 10 moments over the last fifty years.