Today, music shows on television are as common as bread and butter. But in 1969, the Australian ABC network made music and pop culture history with a groundbreaking, revolutionary music show that had never been seen before on television. That show was GTK (which stood for “Get To Know”).
The show was aimed squarely at a youth audience, with a brief to inform, entertain and otherwise amuse. Reporters on the series included Adam Bowen, Jeune Pritchard, Julie Clarke, Garry Hyde, and Marilyn McIntyre.
Perfectly positioned at 6:30 pm, just before Bellbird, four nights a week for roughly ten minutes, GTK abruptly introduced middle Australia to an emerging rock counter-culture.
Every Monday morning, rain or shine, the ABC’s Sydney Gore Hill studio (where the show was recorded) used to explode with live music – often from bands who had just finished their last set at the Whisky Au Go Go at 3:00 am . . .
In between the sounds were interviews, reports and, sometimes, just meandering snatches which brought long haired freaky people into the nation’s living rooms – dancers, poets, filmmakers, photographers, fashion designers, painters, actors and surfers.
