Logies Hall of Fame names leaked

The Australian’s media columnist Amanda Meade has leaked an “unauthorised” list of names being considered for this year’s TV Week Logie Awards’ Hall of Fame.

Normally the award is nominated and voted in private by an industry panel, with the winner announced prior to the awards ceremony.

According to Meade the following names are on the short list:

Brian Henderson, host of ‘60s pop music show Bandstand and a newsreader for TCN9, Sydney, for almost forty years, retiring in 2002.

Brian Naylor (pictured), host of children’s talent show Brian And The Juniors before becoming newsreader for HSV7 and later GTV9 before retiring in 1998.  Hosted Nine’s Carols By Candlelight for ten years.  Was tragically killed last year in the Black Saturday bushfires.

Les Murray, one of the founding presenters at SBS and has led the network’s World Cup soccer coverage since it first telecast the event in 1986.

George Negus (pictured, in 1981), former This Day Tonight journalist who became a household name as one of the founding reporters on 60 Minutes in 1979.  Later hosted Today, Foreign Correspondent and George Negus Tonight and is currently host of Dateline and contributor to The 7PM Project.

Ken Sutcliffe, sports presenter who got his big break being hand-picked by Graham Kennedy to co-host his new late night show, Graham Kennedy’s News Show, in 1988.  Continues to present the sports report for Nine News in Sydney and various Wide World Of Sports telecasts.

Maggie Tabberer (pictured, in 1970), former fashion model turned publishing identity and TV personality.  A two-time TV Week Gold Logie winner (1970, 1971) and more recently a presenter on pay-TV.

Ian Ross, long-time journalist and newsreader for National Nine News in Sydney and, for several years, for Today nationally.  Came out of a brief retirement to front Seven News in Sydney, and led the 6.00pm timeslot for the next six years at the expense of traditional rival Nine.  Retired from Seven at the end of last year.

Ray Meagher, veteran actor and the only founding cast member of Home And Away to still be on the series, 22 years on.

Prisoner (pictured), the Grundy Productions drama series that broke new ground when it launched in 1979 with a predominantly female cast and without the usual gloss of prime-time soap operas.  The series ran for eight years, sold well overseas and won a swag of TV Week Logie awards.  As testament to its long-standing popularity, all 692 episodes of the show have been released on DVD – the largest such DVD release in Australia, if not worldwide.

One name that this blog might suggest would be worthy of a Hall of Fame award is Western Australian TV personality Jeff Newman (pictured).  Newman recently retired from TVW7, Perth, after over 40 years of service, including an outstanding commitment to TVW7’s annual Telethon.  Although Newman is not well known outside of Western Australia, his commitment and service to the television industry in WA is a fantastic achievement.

Previous winners of the TV Week Logie Awards’ Hall of Fame have included Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton, Mike Walsh, Don Lane, Mike Willesee, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, James Davern, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, Ruth Cracknell, Maurie Fields, Sam Chisholm, Bruce Gyngell, Johnny Young, Bill Collins and Steve Irwin.  Three programs have also been entered into the Hall of Fame – 4 Corners, Neighbours and Play School.

Expect TV Week to announce this year’s inductee to the Hall of Fame prior to this year’s Logies telecast, scheduled for 2 May.

Source: The Australian

Jeff Newman calls it a day

West Australian personality Jeff Newman has decided to retire from Perth’s TVW7 – over forty years after joining the channel and just a few months shy of TVW’s fiftieth birthday celebration.

A former radio announcer, Newman started in television at STW9 in the mid-‘60s before joining TVW7 in 1967.  A presenter of various programs including quiz shows It’s Academic and Letterbox and local variety shows including Perth’s New Faces and Reach For The Stars, Newman joined TVW7’s news department in 1982 and for the last eight years has been Seven News’ weather presenter.  In 2001, It’s Academic was revived with Newman again as host.

Newman has also been actively involved in TVW7’s annual Telethon since it started in 1968 and in 1994 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to Telethon and the Variety Club of Western Australia, which he founded. 

Newman has also won five TV Week Logie awards for Most Popular Personality in Western Australia.

It is reported that Newman will appear at one more Telethon, to be held in October just as TVW7 celebrates its 50th birthday.

Source: WA Today, Perth Now, TVW7, WA TV History

1978: April 8-14

Cover Story: A hard day's night:
For Don Lane, life begins at 6.40am - and ends about 1.00 the next morning. TV Times' Veronica Ridge spent a day with the popular man of radio and television. Starting with his morning program with Bert Newton on radio 3UZ, through to rehearsals and pre-recording interviews and promos for that night's The Don Lane Show. Then at 9.30, Bert Newton announces "Welcome to The Don Lane Show. And now, here's Don!" and the curtain goes up on another show, broadcast across Australia.

Jeff Newman's job is a real beauty!
Perth TVW7 personality Jeff Newman has a job that many other blokes would envy, chatting to and interviewing beauty pageant contestants. But Newman, 34, and happily married to wife Pat, says he would rather be watching at home rather than hosting the show, "because you get a better opportunity of seeing the girls without worrying about the next question." This week, Newman will be hosting the Australian Beauty Pageant, the winner of which will represent Australia at Miss Universe in Mexico. Also, this year's pageant will virtually serve as a dress rehearsal for the 1979 Miss Universe contest to be held at the Perth Entertainment Centre and televised worldwide.

When they dimmed the limelight...
For pop king Johnny Farnham, life was very hectic with TV appearances, commercials, and touring around the country. But now, at 29, Farnham is leading a quieter life, able to be more selective about the work he takes on. He refutes suggestions that he had suffered a nervous breakdown. Farnham's manager Danny Finley also confirms that despite the public perception that Farnham has faded from the spotlight, that this is not the case, "he has been seen around Australia on (sitcom) Bobby Dazzler, and ABC's Survival series. He appeared on Carols By Candlelight and Music For The People, and Julie McKenna's New Year's Eve special." However, Farnham does regret that the Crawford Productions pilot Me And Mr Stone, where he co-starred with Gordon Chater, was not picked up by any of the networks.

No prize for bunging on a Family Feud:
Columnist F.C. Kennedy is not overly impressed with Nine's game show Family Feud with Tony Barber: "At first glance, Family Feud may not look like a challenge to the current affairs shows, The Sullivans, Glenview High, or the other soap opera, The Restless Years. But, when you are dealing with diary-keepers who have made Blankety Blanks number one, you never know what might happen."

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"I heard Mike Willesee call Olivia Newton-John and the Bee Gees "Australians". Optimistic, to say the least. Olivia was born in England, came here aged five, left for England at 16, and from there became the international star she is today. The Bee Gees were born and raised in England, spent a few years here then returned home and became international stars. Neither Olivia nor the Bee Gees have recorded a hit in this country, not shown any interest in returning permanently." E. Faith, WA.

"Would someone please tell me why two of our channels have to put specials on together on Wednesday nights, leaving one channel with an Australian show? Why do they give us a raw deal these days?" J. Hankinson, NSW.

"I am unashamedly a TV addict who, at the age of 80, picks his programs with a very heavy bias towards Australian features. I think The Sullivans is the best Australian show ever. The colour of all local shows is really superior to imports. Young Talent Time is the most consistently excellent variety show on the screen." N. W. Montagu, NSW.

What's On (April 8-14):
GTV9 presents the Australian Beauty Pageant, telecast from the Perth Entertainment Centre and hosted by Jeff Newman. Five finalists from each state will compete to represent Australia at the 1978 Miss Universe Quest to be held in Mexico.

ATV0 presents the special The Trial Of Lee Harvey Oswald. The four-hour special, screened over two nights, speculates the outcome of a trial if President Kennedy's accused assassin was still alive.

ABC presents Vienna Cinderella - the last work of Johann Strauss - a ballet which had not achieved the fame of his other works.

Sunday night movies are Two Missionaries (HSV7), SPYS (GTV9) and Adam's Woman (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 8 April 1978. ABC/ACP