50 Years

Last night, Sunday 5th of November, marked the 50th birthday of the ABC. I was probably first introduced to the ABC by way of Play School. Jemima was one of my favorites, my sister's relationship with Little Ted was unhealthy. Then there was Secret Valley. I was lucky that my Uncle Bob (yes, Bob really is my Uncle) secured me a tee-shirt from the program. It was good to have a news reader for an Uncle.

There were many years when I was forced to watch the 7pm news. 'Everyone else' got to watch the news on the commercial channels and the proverbial argument that 'we are not everyone else's parents' was the standard defence. Commercials were more fun, you got to see the latest advertisements selling the newest Uncle Tobys product. The 7.30 Report followed the 7pm news, and then it was the Bill. There were no advertisements, there wasn't really anything. I can probably attribute my developed reading skills to the limited television exposure in our house.

Nowadays, I enjoy a few programs on this station. If the AFL was broadcasted by the ABC (funny one, I know) we would only have one television station in our house. Scary, especially to Canadian readers who lament that Australia only has five television stations.

Gordon Prisco should feel very privileged to share a birthday with the ABC. He is so much younger the ABC, in comparison to the people at Bond, who he is so much older than. Despite an eternal band from his blog (there have been words to the effect that this was to be lifted,) providing a target for his continual ridicule and dealing with him when he is sick or injured, I hope he had a good birthday.