TV

During the 70′s and 80′s live music was screened on the ABC in the incredibly popular TV program Countdown .Made in Melbourne , at the ABC’s Ripponlea  studio , it brought much fame to front man Ian , “Molly “Meldrum , and provided valuable media exposure  for new Australian Bands . It also attracted many international acts who were touring Australia at the time and they often hosted and performed on the program  . Many teenagers coveted the right to be in the studio audience to see their idols perform live .  It rapidly became the most popular music program in Australian TV history and exerted a strong influence on radio programmers because of its audience and the amount of Australian content it featured.  Molly generally co-hosted the program , interviewed guests and finished the program with the number one hit single of the week .