Born in Sydney, Bruce Gordon’s links to Wollongong go back to his childhood, when his family spent summers holidaying at Stanwell Park. Later, the family bought a weekend home at Corrimal. When he visited Wollongong to perform his magic act with the “Gang Show,” he was billeted with a family at Unanderra. In 1962, the Hollywood based Desilu Studios offered Bruce Gordon the job of running its new offices in Sydney, responsible for Australia and South East Asia. Gordon went on to become vicepresident of International Television Sales for Paramount Pictures. In 1979, Gordon was working for Paramount Studios when he came across an opportunity he couldn’t resist. He had been selling programs to independent station WIN-4 in Wollongong for four years, and on one particular visit 30 years ago, his friend Rupert Murdoch, who was the owner of the station at the time, agreed to sell Bruce a controlling interest in WIN TV Channel 4. For WIN, the 80’s and 90’s brought quick and expansive growth. Government-imposed television aggregation delivered metro station programming to regional centres and enforced the change from VHF to UHF frequencies. All of this change was a massive gamble, but the hard work fortunately paid off. The WIN network grew across the country and established itself as a broadcasting giant. Today, WIN has 28 stations around Australia including Channel 9 in Perth and Adelaide, forming Australia’s largest terrestrial Television network, reaching 8.5 million viewers in all six states and four capital cities including the nation’s capital, Canberra. WIN has further expanded by seizing opportunities in areas offering synergies with the core television broadcasting business including satellite Pay-TV operator Selectv, telecommunications and transmission providers Digital Distributions Australia, Broadcast Transmission service provider BTS and Award winning Film and Television production company, Crawford Productions. Locally, the Gordon family also took on the radio industry, taking charge of Wollongong’s two double 0 in 1987, which was later rebranded to i98fm and is the Illawarra’s number one station. Later, the Gordons established the state of the art radio station C91.3FM in Sydney’s South West suburb, Campbelltown. The latest development in the WIN media empire is the new digital channel GO! Marketed to a younger viewing audience, GO! has been the most successful multi-channel ever to launch, breaking records in all markets and playing a major part in the success of digital television in Australia. Bruce is proud of his two children, Andrew and Genevieve, who have inherited a passion for the media industry. Andrew has risen through the ranks of the company and is currently chairman of WIN Corporation, while Genevieve has recently graduated as Dux of her Bermuda high school and will study film and media in the U.K. while also working at WIN Television during holidays. Gordon holds a unique position of influence within the global media industry and remains Australia’s most successful television salesman, known as the “dean” of international sales. WIN’S FIRSTS WIN Television network has always been an innovator in the broadcasting industry and continues this trend with constant development. WIN Television has a proud tradition of firsts with a record of achievements. • In 1974, it became the first company in Australia to make a videotaped drama series in color with Silent Number for the Nine Network Australia. • On March 1, 1975, it became one of the first stations in Australia to broadcast in color. • It was the first commercial television station to produce national and international music video clips for Festival Records with artists such as Olivia Newton-John. • First regional station in Australia to co-produce a telemovie with a Canadian production company. • First regional station to produce live variety tonight shows in Australia. • Aired the first aggregated services in Australia on March 2, 1989. • WIN Television is one of the only networks that continues to produce programs from studios in its regional headquarters: Top Rated programs include Fishing Australia hosted by Rob Paxevanos, Postcards Australia hosted by Scott McRae and Alive and Cooking hosted by James Reeson. • Providing the most comprehensive news service in Australia, WIN Television produces 18 individual 30 minute WIN News bulletins every weekday and one 60-minute bulletin seven days a week making use of its 28 newsrooms and bureaus across the country. V I D E O • A G E SE P T E M B E R/ OC T O B E R 2 0 0 9 54 WIN’s 30 year celebration of Bruce Gordon purchasing WIN Television in 1979 The Gordons: Genevieve, Bruce, Judith The Gordons: Judith, Bruce, Genevieve, Andrew Bruce Gordon (standing center) in the VideoAge’s February 1985 issue featuring the heads of the U.S. Studios’ international divisions
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