1979 in Australian television

Events

• February - The Government approves the application for ATV0 to convert its transmission to the Channel 10 frequency.
• 11 February - A brand new Australian weekly current affairs program 60 Minutes premieres on Nine Network. Based on the American newsmagazine television program of the same name, it has a lack lustre beginning, but will soon rise to become one of the highest-rating programs in Australia.
• 27 February - Australian prime time black comedy/soap opera from Reg Grundy Productions Prisoner premieres on the 0-10 Network. It enjoys a large following both in Australia and around the world, particularly in the UK and parts of the US.
• April - The Special Broadcasting Service screens the first of a series of multi-language programs on ABC on Sunday mornings.
• 2 April - Australian actor Ron Blanchard and Alexander Bunyip the delightful character from the popular children's book The Monster That Ate Canberra by Michael Salmon present a brand new afternoon block for children called ARVO which also features programs such as Play School, Mr. Squiggle and Friends, Sesame Street, Basil Brush and The Famous Five.
• 24 April - American prime time soap opera Dallas premieres on The 0-10 Network.
• 28 June - Australian drama series Patrol Boat debuts on ABC.
• 1 July - Commercial television stations now required to screen ‘C’ classified programming, aimed solely at children aged 6 to 13, every weekday between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Early ‘C’ classified programs include Simon Townsend's Wonder World, Stax and Shirl's Neighbourhood. Commercial stations are also required to screen a minimum of 30 minutes each weekday, prior to 4:00pm, of programming aimed at pre-school viewers.
• 9 July - Crawford Productions's brand new soap opera Skyways begins it premiere on the Seven Network.
• 13 August - A brand new Australian environmental education series for children called Earthwatch debuts on ABC at 5:00pm as part of the ARVO lineup.
• 2 October - American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes debuts on Nine Network.
• November - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is taking control of TEN-10 Sydney and his bid to take over the Australian airline company which owns ATV0 Melbourne Ansett Australia, sparks a review into media ownership by the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.
• 5 December - American sitcom Taxi premieres on Nine Network.

Debuts

New international programming

• 7 January – The Kenny Everett Video Show
• 7 January – All Creatures Great and Small
• 8 January/7 May – Michael Bentine's Potty Time
• 11 January/4 September – CHiPS
• 13 January – Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
• 21 January – The Governor
• 24 January – Bagpuss
• 1 February – Rumpole of the Bailey
• 10 February/19 February – Mickey's 50
• 11 February – Vega$
• 15 February – The Incredible Hulk (1978)
• 19 February – Mork and Mindy
• 5 March – Battle of the Planets
• 10 March – The Mumbly Cartoon Show
• 21 March – Peark
• 24 March – The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty
• 24 March – I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali
• 2 April – The Eagle of the Ninth
• 19 April – Sword of Justice
• 24 April – Dallas
• 27 April – Blake's 7
• 8 May – Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk
• 22 May – The Famous Five (1978)
• 28 May – Roots: The Next Generations
• 31 May – Project U.F.O.
• 4 June – Danger UXB
• 12 June – Lillie
• 23 July – Dynomutt, Dog Wonder
• 8 August – Gather Your Dreams
• 10 August/24 November – Salvage 1
• 3 September – 1990
• 21 September – Supertrain
• 2 October – Hazell
• 2 October – Diff'rent Strokes
• 3 October – Angie
• 11 October – Circus
• 15 October – Yogi's Space Race
• 19 October – Out of Bounds
• 7 November – A Special Sesame Street Christmas
• 18 November – Bless Me, Father
• 19 November – WKRP in Cincinnati
• 19 November – SCTV
• 19 November – The Big Blue Marble
• 21 November – Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
• 21 November – Brothers and Sisters
• 21 November – Joe & Valerie
• 22 November – Return of the Saint
• 24 November – David Cassidy: Man Undercover
• 25 November – Mixed Blessings
• 27 November – The Aphrodite Inheritance
• 27 November – Disraeli
• 5 December – Taxi
• 11 December – Born and Bred
• 13 December – Pennies from Heaven
• 20 December – The Roller Girls
• 24 December – ''Christmas Eve on Sesame Street''

Television shows

1950s

• ''Mr. Squiggle and Friends''

1960s

• ''Four Corners''

1970s

• ''Doctor Down Under''