From sensations to scandals, ratings hits to flops, these are 40 years of our small screen stories.

July 1984

Former Brisbane TV newsman and current affairs reporter Rob Readings scored a major coup by being chosen as one of the major “home front-men’’ for the 0-10 network’s Olympic Games coverage.

“I’m delighted to be chosen. It’s a career high point for me’’, said the former Channel 0 newsman and “Today Tonight’’reporter.

“I’ll be working on-camera with Herb Elliott, and another former Brisbane TV reporter, Mike Tancred’’.

Billy J Smith, Channel 0’s sports presenter and league caller, went one better by being chosen in the team to go to the Games.

March 1985

It was confirmed Brisbane would gain a new TV channel – SBS Channel 28, the multicultural, or ethnic, station which was anything but a ratings success.

However, as chief publicist Jennifer Looman said the station was being sampled by a lot of viewers, even though that did not show up in the ratings.

The 1983-84 annual report of SBS revealed that 78 per cent of homes containing people from non-English speaking countries tuned in at some time during the surveyed period.

However, SBS admitted that the findings of this survey were not entirely satisfactory.

February 1986

Brisbane television queen Janne Rayner upstaged the queen of the ice, Jayne Torvill, at the Boondall entertainment complex.

Janne, co-presenter of the nightly “Seven PM’’ on Channel 7, donned ice-skates for the first time in her life at the centre.

She then completed the double by becoming the first person to skate on the ice being prepared for Boondall’s glamour opening show starring the world’s supreme ice skating pair, Torvill and Dean.

October 1986

Although Jo Pearson became a household name as a TV news presenter, she revealed she was happy to share the limelight with her husband Rob Gell.

Jo presented the news with David Johnston on Channel 10 while Rob did the weather.

But Rob, the station’s weatherman for eight years, never felt overshadowed by his popular wife.

“We both make different inputs to the news and they are equally significant,’ he said.

“We have a very good working relationship,’ Jo added.

“Even if we are having a row or not getting along we forget it in the studio.

“Your attention is so drawn by that camera that relationships between people become very secondary.”

June 1987

Although Channel 9 axed her children’s shows, Brisbane TV personality Debbie Turner was still her bright and breezy self.

“You’ve got to keep smiling,’’ Debbie said.

“I’m a great believer in fate.

“I’m also madly trying to find gainful employment.”

Debbie, then 26, was best known as a presenter of the Channel 9 Saturday morning children’s shows. But she has had experience in regional TV promotions work – at Channel 10, in Toowoomba.

March 1988

Newsreader Jo Pearson, once of Channel 0 in Brisbane, made her Channel 9 debut as presenter of a documentary that raised more than a few viewers’ temperatures.

She was snared from Channel 10 in Melbourne. Before that she read the 0 news in Brisbane.

Now, she tackled the gun debate in a documentary titled Guns: A Licence To Kill?

“It’s one of the biggest issues to divide the community since the Vietnam War,’’ she said. “We have compiled some powerful material.’’

October 1988

Television news presenter Tracey Curro was always ready for action – whether parachuting, climbing a mountain or scuba diving.

Tracey had already made the big leap as a skydiver, freefalling from 3000m.

And she found parachuting a breeze.

“It’s an overwhelming experience,” she said.

“You feel the rush of wind on your face and don’t get a chance to look around and panic.” The Queenslander presented Channel 10’s news with David Johnston and Mal Walden.

When she’s not at the newsdesk, Tracey also liked to go rock climbing.

Tracey, 21, from the north Queensland sugar town of Ingham, spent a lot of time snorkelling on the Barrier Reef.

February 1990

Brisbane television newsreader Mike Higgins terminated his contract but there will be no legal wrangle.

Higgins read his last bulletin at Channel 7, in his words “for a while’’.

His successor was Garry Wilkinson, formerly a Sydney-based Channel 7 sport host and presenter.

Channel 7 spokesman Ms Meredith Chaplin said the station and Higgins had agreed to terminate his contract.

Higgins rejoined Channel 7 in November 1988 on a two-year contract with an option for a third.

“I put it to the station to see if they could let me go and they agreed,’’ he said.

May 1991

Brisbane Channel 10 weatherman Ray Wilkie was announced to head a new 10 network weather centre in Brisbane to service Brisbane and Sydney channels.

Wilkie, 66, the Brisbane Channel 10 weatherman for the previous seven years, was to be in opposition to his brother Allan, 62, the best-known weather presenter on Sydney television.

Allan Wilkie presented weather in Sydney for more than 30 years.

“I don’t think I’ve talked to him for about 18 months,’’ he said.

January 1992

Brisbane television’s best-known rugby league caller, Billy J. Smith, was to continue his career after all – over at Channel 9.

Smith was a regular caller when Channel 10 had the rights for the Sydney competition.

However, Nine took over the coverage and decided to hire Smith to join present callers Alan Thomas and Andrew Slack.

Smith, 46, said that he had not previously worked for Nine, in a broadcasting career which began 26 years ago in radio at Longreach.

At Ten and Seven he had been both a league caller and a sports presenter.

His deal with Nine was specifically for league. He could not comment on the possibility of being the chief caller … “all I know is that I’m part of the team’’.

September 1996

Kerry O’Brien, of ABC’s 7.30 Report, opened up about what life was like in the early days of Australian television.

O’Brien started in 1965 as a cadet in Channel 9’s newsroom in Brisbane.

“In those days cameramen, and I mean men – there were certainly no women – shot film on a handheld camera called a Bell and Howell, which shot pictures only, no sound,” he said.

“News coverage was by today’s standards utterly simplistic and any cameraman who had been around could count the years by the number of hernias they had.

“When I came in there was no such thing as immediacy in television.

January 1997

Persistence paid off for Totally Wild presenter Melanie Symons, who said she spent her first year at Brisbane’s Channel 10 in a small, dark room all by herself.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,’’ Melanie said with a laugh.

Melanie, 22, next worked in Ten’s publicity department – where she heard on the grapevine about a reporting job coming up for Totally Wild.

“I got a cameraman to help me put a show reel together and I gave it to the producers,” she said.

“It turned out they already had two other people they were interested in, so they sent their show reels and mine to Sydney where, luckily, someone chose mine.”

July 1998

Sky Channel pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat when it welcomed Gold Coast-based Terry Bailey as its new Sydney broadcaster for racing in the pay-TV era.

Bailey, 33, replaced John Tapp as the Sydney race caller when Sky Channel created the new “Sky Racing” home racing channel in September.

Bailey called the Saturday races at the Gold Coast for Brisbane radio station 4TAB.

“It’s a big thing for me to be replacing the greatest caller of my generation,” Bailey said at Sky’s pay-TV channel launch in Sydney.

“It’s the biggest accolade you can have. I’m very humbled by it.”

April 1999

“Frankophile mania’’ hit Brisbane as Channel 7 revealed Frank Warrick would host a new million-dollar quiz show.

But a promotional campaign for the show led some viewers to think the popular newsreader and documentary presenter had died.

Callers said flash bulletins during Seven’s midday movie asked viewers to watch Seven Nightly News for a special announcement about Warrick.

Some fans thought he had met a premature demise.

But the good-humoured Warrick responded to the ruckus tongue-in-cheek, saying: “Some might say I did that years ago.’’

December 1999

Craig McMahon, the new recruit on Channel 10’s Totally Wild, felt like he was born for the Brisbane-based role.

“I had an amazing day at SeaWorld where I swam with Flipper – the star of the TV series and the movie,’’ he said.

The 23-year-old had auditioned in Hollywood, studied every course he could find, as was managed by the famous Stacey Testro International agency.

McMahon says he spent a year in Hollywood auditioning for everything.

“I auditioned for all the daytime soaps and got close a few times,” he said.

September 2001

Brisbane television personality Melissa Downes put her continuity skills to good use as fashion compere during the Cairns Amateurs.

Amateurs vice-president Ron Davis said the committee was delighted to welcome her back.

Melissa began her television career in 1994, when she joined Channel 7’s Brisbane newsroom as a part-time reporter, while completing her Bachelor of Arts degree through the University of Queensland.

The following year, she was offered a full-time reporting position and had proved herself a versatile and accomplished reporter and presenter.

March 2002

Gold Coast weather presenter Natalie Gruzlewski joined the NRL Footy Show as tipster Lady Luck.

Gruzlewski replaced former Water Rats actor Dee Smart, who leaves the segment after two years.

She film her segments out and about on the Gold Coast.

“I’m excited and thrilled to work on a national program,” said Gruzlewski.

“I’m a mixture of nerves and excitement … I think that’s probably a good thing.”

May 2002

Brisbane presenter Holly Brisley as appointed host of Channel 9’s The Looney Toons Show.

Brisley said she was excited to be joining Nine and “getting paid’’ to watch cartoons.

She said she’d continue to live in Brisbane and commute to Sydney to record the show. Brisley previously hosted shows on Foxtel’s Music Country channel and the Channel 7 series Agro’s Cartoon Connection.

September 2003

Television presenter Emily Barker was the first to admit her knowledge and experience was limited.

“Mum and Dad are a great source of knowledge for money matters,’’ said Barker, 22, who lived with her parents at Springwood, in Brisbane’s south.

Barker did work experience, worked as a personal assistant and a writer before she landed her job on Channel 10’s Totally Wild.

She also began studying journalism and law, degrees she plans to finish in her spare time.

“I hope to stay in lifestyle television but I want to formalise my qualifications,” she said.

June 2006

From her office high atop Mt Coot-tha, Kay McGrath exuded authority and power.

After 17 years as the co-presenter of the Seven Network s Brisbane news bulletin, she was well aware that her position was envied by many within the media industry.

And on the eve of her 50th birthday, the mother-of-two couldn’t have been happier with the path her life is taking, which is a far cry from her early days fetching coffees for staff at a New Zealand TV station.

“I couldn t get a job after I graduated, which was a bit depressing,” she revealed.

November 2006

Popular Channel 9 newsreader Sharyn Ghidella defected to the rival Seven Network.

The breakfast show personality left Nine when her contract, worth almost $300,000 a year, expired.

Ghidella joined Channel 7 in Brisbane as a weekend news anchor.

Ghidella had been a constant on the Today show, and was recently overlooked for the summer hosting gig to replace the pregnant Jessica Rowe.

November 2008

Popular Channel 9 news anchor Heather Foord let the curtain fall on television career spanning more than two decades.

The Brisbane-based presenter announced her intention to retire at the end of the 6pm news bulletin.

Foord was educated in Brisbane and began her television career as a researcher for Channel 10’s Good Morning Australia program.

She joined Nine in 1987 and presented both the weeknight and weekend news.

July 2010

Four decades in the spotlight and Sonia Kruger had lost none of her sparkle.

The TV glamour girl was back with the diamante microphone for her 10th season co-hosting Channel 7’s variety hit Dancing With the Stars.

Her other heart-starter is dance and it was on the sprung floor that the Brisbane-born blonde’s performance career began.

She was four when she followed her older sister into tap classes, but discovered her real passion at the age of nine when she was introduced to ballroom.

“It was like a fantasy world – the music, costumes, the glitz. My mum was a dressmaker and she used to sit up ‘til midnight sequinning and hand-beading my costumes.”

August 2011

Channel 9 acted swiftly to fill the holes in its Brisbane newsroom after the Choppergate scandal.

With director of news Lee Anderson resigning and two reporters and a producer axed, Nine veteran Mike Dalton was pulled in to replace Mr Anderson in the newsroom’s top role until a permanent replacement can be found.

Former WIN Television weather presenter Davina Smith, who recently moved to Sydney with the Nine Network, covered the gaps left by Cameron Price and Melissa Mallet, who were the two journalists sacked.

Nine Queensland managing director Kylie Blucher denied rumours Mr Anderson had resigned in protest over the sackings.

June 2013

Beleaguered Channel 9 was finishing one of its most disappointing years in a tailspin after two thumping ratings losses to Channel 7.

Border Security and Dancing with the Stars helped Seven trounce Nine on Monday and Tuesday nights, respectively.

Overall, Seven earned a massive 37.6 per cent share during prime time, more than 15 percentage points clear of Nine on 22.3 and Ten on 19.5.

In Brisbane, Seven almost doubled Nine’s market share in the 7.30pm timeslot, with Dancing with the Stars attracting 28.4 per cent of the local audience, compared with gag-show Surprise Surprise Gotcha, which accounted for just 16.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, Channel 9 Brisbane finally did away with its guest-presenter policy on Brisbane Extra and settled on National Nine News’s Melissa Downes as host until its Christmas recess in mid-December.

June 2013

Jilted Channel 9 presenter Jillian Whiting was thrown a lifeline by rival network Seven.

The former Brisbane Extra host, who was ousted from her role to make room for veteran Nine news poster girl Heather Foord, “crossed the street’’ to read the weekend news bulletin for Nine’s rival.

Whiting, 37, began her television news career at Seven in 1991, and is taking the weekend shift while Kay McGrath, Patrick Condren and Talitha Cummings are on holidays.

Seven news director Rob Raschke said he was looking for a “meaningful’’ role for her.

Whiting, 37, was surprised in December by Nine’s manoeuvre to have Foord, 43, host its long-running current affairs show after Foord stopped reading the weekday bulletin to spend more time with her family.

June 2015

Meet Kendall Gilding, Channel 7’s new secret weapon.

The station introduced the local beauty to Australia, giving her a national audience with a guest news reading role on Weekend Sunrise.

At just 25 years old, Gilding was being groomed as a future star of the station and, in the process, her dreams seemed to be coming true.

“I remember being at home in Cairns at 14 watching Sunrise and deciding that is what I want to do,” Gilding, from the Gold Coast, said.

“I thought, ‘I want a job like that’ and, from then, I knew I wanted to be a journalist.”

She said the honour of a guest role on the top-rating breakfast show came with plenty of pressure.

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May 2016

Channel 9 sports presenter Yvonne Sampson feared she was being called into the boss’ office for doing something wrong.

Instead, it was to inform her she would be hosting the State of Origin blockbuster – Australia’s highest rating TV show and an event that attracts a national audience of 4.5 million.

Stepping into the seat once reserved for TV legends Mike Gibson and Ken Sutcliffe, 35-year-old Sampson became the first female broadcaster to anchor a major sporting event in this country.

She is also a proud Queenslander who cut her teeth at QTQ 9 in Brisbane.

“It’s enormous – Origin is better than Christmas,” she said.

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September 2018

Popular presenter Sofie Formica quit Channel 7, ending a 30-year relationship with the network.

The host of The Great Day Out travel and lifestyle show shocked Seven executives with her resignation.

Formica, 47, said she that had realised it was “just time”.

“I am totally going with my intuition. I have absolutely done everything I can with this particular vehicle (television) and there are lots of ways for someone to use their skills without being beholden to one medium.”

Formica started with Channel 10 in 1988 and the following year switched to Seven as a reporter on the children’s show Wombat. She later became the first woman to host a game show in Australia with Now You See It.

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December 2018

Brisbane presenter and reporter Darren Curtis said his departure from Channel 9 marked the start of “cost-cutting following the merger with Fairfax”.

Curtis, who worked for Channel 9 for eight years, was informed that his contract would not be renewed.

A Nine spokesperson said the decision was “not related to the merger and there are no plans for further changes in the Brisbane newsroom”.

But Curtis, who was informed of the decision by Nine’s national director of news and current affairs Darren Wick after he flew to Brisbane, said the network was looking to “save some costs” and there would be similar cuts in other cities.

September 2023

She overturned her “villain” edit on national television to become a sought-after “it” girl.

To appreciate all of this is to acknowledge the force that is Abbie Chatfield.

The divisive powerhouse, 28, created a successful podcast, become a fashion designer, owner of a beer label, 2021 winner of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, national radio presenter, TV host of dating show FBoy Island and is back for her second season as judge on popular singing contest The Masked Singer.

And nobody was more surprised than Chatfield at her emphatic arrival on to Australia’s entertainment scene.

“I don’t know what it is, I think if I start questioning it, I’ll need therapy,” she said.

“I do think about it and wonder why, it’s bizarre … I just think it’s happened, I accept it and move forward and I’m so grateful.”

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December 2023

An ABC host announced she would leave the broadcaster after 17 years.

Karina Carvalho revealed that she had quit her job as the ABC News channel presenter.

“The ABC will always have a special place in my heart, I’ve been able to meet and work with so many talented people,” she said.

“Now is the right time to venture into the next phase of my career.

“I wish my colleagues at the ABC nothing but the best.”

Ms Carvalho anchored the ABC news program in Brisbane for five years and co-hosted ABC News Breakfast in Melbourne.

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June 2024

The bloodletting began at Channel 7, with one of the networks’s most popular Queensland stars among dozens of staff to lose their jobs.

Popular weatherman Paul Burt, who gained a cult following across his television career, was told he would not continue his daily weather cross after the end of July.

Burt said the move had left him “heartbroken”.

“I respect our viewers and the people who have allowed me to come into their loungerooms for the past 25 years – you’ll be truly missed,” he said.

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July 2024

Sharyn Ghidella opened up about her shock axing from Seven Network.

The veteran journalist of 38 years and newsreader had been making her way up The Mountain for the past 17 years to deliver the nightly news.

The news of her own departure came as a surprise to not only viewers, but to Ghidella herself.

Delivered about a fortnight ago via a phone call while Ghidella, 58, was at the hairdresser, it was, she wryly notes, “not quite the chop I was hoping for”.

“It was Ita Buttrose who said, ‘You haven’t worked in television until you’ve been sacked’,” Ghidella smiles.

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August 2024

Veteran newsreader Sharyn Ghidella made a high-profile return to Queensland television as the new presenter for Network 10, just weeks after being sensationally sacked by the Seven Network.

Ghidella, who was told of her dismissal while at the hairdressers, was announced to anchor 10’s 5pm Queensland news bulletin, bringing the show back to Brisbane after years of being read from Sydney.

Ghidella, whose departure from Seven ended a 17-year tenure, described the opportunity as a “full-circle moment” that she couldn’t pass up, having begun her metro news career with Network 10 back in 1990.

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