1987 in Australian television

Events

Television

*January - Alan Bond, who already owns QTQ-9 & STW-9 purchases TCN-9 & GTV-9 from Kerry Packer for $1.055 billion. The expanded Nine Network becomes the first coast-to-coast network.
*February - Fairfax, owners of ATN-7 & BTQ-7 purchase HSV-7 from The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd for $320 million. The move sees the replacement of most Melbourne-produced programming with networked programming from Sydney, including long-running shows such as "World of Sport" & sees Mal Walden sacked as newsreader. The revamped news service, read by former STW-9 newsreader Greg Pearce plunges to as low as zero in the ratings.
*July - Westfield buys Network Ten from Rupert Murdoch's News Limited for $842 million.
*July 19 - Long-running ABC music program "Countdown" broadcasts its final episode.
*August - New cross-media ownership rules force the sale of the Seven Network. Fairfax sells its stations to Christopher Skase's Qintex company for $780 million.
*December 27 - Rupert Murdoch's ownership of ADS-7, combined with TVW-7's ownership of SAS-10, result in the stations deciding to swap callsigns & affiliations. So, on this day, ADS-7 becomes ADS-10 & SAS-10 becomes SAS-7.

Debuts

New International Programming

Television shows

1950s

1960s

1970s

* "Hey Hey It's Saturday" (1971 – present)
* "Young Talent Time" (1971 – present)

1980s

* "Wheel of Fortune" (1981 – present)
* "Perfect Match" (1984 – present)
* "Neighbours" (1985 – present)
* "Sunday" (1981 – 2008)
* "Today" (1982 – present)

Ending this year

Returning this year

TV movies