25 Jan 2024

Christchurch Commonwealth games in 1974 first colour TV broadcast in NZ

From Morning Report, 7:27 am on 25 January 2024

Thursday marks 50 years since Dick Tayler galloped to 10,000 metre glory at the 1974 Commonwealth Games.

The Christchurch games, dubbed "the friendly games" marked the second time New Zealand hosted the event.

But coverage of the games also marked most New Zealanders' first glimpse of colour television.

A veteran TV producer describes its arrival as one of the biggest broadcasting breakthroughs of the time.

Adam Burns reports.