RCA Stereo Roundie near Boston but for a price.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

I remember Friday Night Videos on NBC, but never knew until now that the audio was also simulcast over local FM radio. I don't remember seeing anything in the local newspaper, TV listings, etc. at the time as to which of the 20 or so Cleveland FM stations was carrying the show's sound track. Was this done nationally, or only in cities with NBC owned and operated TV stations? If the latter, I am surprised that nothing was ever said about FNV's stereo FM simulcast (that I was ever aware of, anyway) in the Cleveland area, as the NBC-TV affiliate there (WKYC-TV channel 3) was owned and operated by NBC at the time.

It was probably available around the country, but I don't remember how it was publicized at the time. I do know that the FM station in Chicago that had the Friday Night Videos stereo audio was the NBC-owned rock station there, so maybe having the radio station owned by NBC was the key to simulcast availability.

One interesting side note about the simulcasts is that a rival FM rock station in Chicago bought commercials on the NBC TV station during the show, so their commercial's audio was played on the competing station. Soon after, the station with the simulcast was ready for this, and when the commercial came on, they dubbed in their own parody audio for the commercial, with things like a toilet flushing when the competitor's logo came on screen.

I still have several Beta Hi-Fi tapes of those music videos, including a couple of complete Friday Night Videos shows. They would be fun to pull out and play if I get a Beta VCR hooked up again.