MAY 1, 7.30pm : CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF BROADCASTING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA by Ian Smyth
Burnside Uniting Church, Cnr Fisher & Portrush Roads
Over the past 100 years, broadcast radio and television have become a true cultural force, and a part of daily life in South Australia. But where, and how did it begin? This presentation will travel through the development of licensed radio and television broadcasting which officially began in South Australia in late 1924 and early 1925. Not just the radios and technological developments over those 100 years, but also to be covered is the social, cultural and economic impact of this “new” industry as it emerged in the years between the wars and then beyond to the digital age of today.
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Who were the personalities of the times?
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What did people listen to on the radio?
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What were some of the brands and models of radios that our parents owned?
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Where were they made?
However, the arrival of television in South Australia in 1959 created massive competition for radio. Today, television as we know it is undergoing huge challenges too with online streaming and artificial intelligence influencing what we watch and what we hear.
Ian Smyth is a member of the Historical Radio Society of Australia (SA) and was Co-Curator of a major exhibition on this topic, held recently at the State Library of South Australia. He is an avid collector and restorer of old valve-based radios and radio test equipment. He originally trained as a teacher in Adelaide, but developed his interest in radio and TV technology while working at the BBC training studios in the UK, then at NWS Channel 9 where he spent several years as Producer of “Here’s Humphrey”, and the internationally acclaimed children’s science and technology program “The Curiosity Show.” He later returned to teaching then graduating to school leadership. He finally retired as an international education consultant after working for 7 years in the Middle East. Retirement has allowed him to return to this unusual hobby!