1982 in Australian television

Events

Television

• 18 January - Sons and Daughters premieres on the Seven Network.
• February - Rupert Murdoch’s Network Ten makes a successful $9.2m bid for the rights to televise the 1984 Olympic Games from Los Angeles. Ten was up against a Seven Network bid and a joint Nine Network-ABC bid.
• 1 March - British children's animated series Doctor Snuggles premieres on the ABC at 4:30pm airing for the most part throughout the whole year.
• 7 April - British children's animated series Danger Mouse makes its first screening on ABC in Sydney and some other states in Australia. It would later air in Victoria in 1983.
• 28 June - The Nine Network introduces its new breakfast TV show, National News Today, This was used for a few weeks before it was later shortened the title to "Today".
• 1 July - The ABC celebrates its 50th anniversary starting with a special called From Carbon Mikes to Satellites followed by Quiros, a music drama written specifically for the occasion and broadcast across both ABC television and FM radio.
• September - The Nine Network and ABC jointly televise the 1982 Commonwealth Games from Brisbane.
• 25 September - The VFL Grand Final is televised on Seven Network.
• Nine, Seven and the ABC conduct stereo test transmissions.
• Former Network Ten reporter Jana Wendt joins Nine Network's 60 Minutes team as its first female reporter.

Debuts

• 18 January - Sons and Daughters (Seven Network) (1982-1987)
• 28 June - Today (Nine Network) (1982–present)

New International Programming

• 1 March - Doctor Snuggles (ABC TV)
• 1 March - The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (ABC TV)
• 1 March - Animals in Action (ABC TV)
• 2 March - Drake's Venture (ABC TV)
• 7 April - Danger Mouse (ABC TV)
• 29 May - The Smurfs (Seven Network)
• 1 September - Into the Labyrinth (ABC TV)
• The Greatest American Hero (Network Ten)
• Hill Street Blues (Seven Network)

Changes to network affiliation

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.

International

Program	New network(s)	Previous network(s)	Date
Battle of the Planets	ABC TV	Network Ten	7 May

Television shows

1950s

• Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959 – 1999)

1970s

• Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971 – present)
• Young Talent Time (1971 – present)

1980s

• Wheel of Fortune (1981–present)
• Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
• Sunday (1981–2008)

TV movies