Simulrock: do you remember staying up late in the '80s to watch it?
Simulrock was an Australian music video television program produced in Adelaide, South Australia.
It first aired in 1985 and ended in 1988, shortly after the switch between SAS-10 and ADS-7.
Broadcast by SAS-10 in partnership with SA-FM, the show was famous for utilizing an early form of multimedia broadcasting: simulcasting.
Simulrock was a late-night program which screened every Friday, and the original Easybeats version of "Friday On My Mind" was likely used as the opening theme between 1985 and 1986, eventually being replaced with Gary Moore's cover in 1987.
Because consumer TV's at the time were mostly non-stereo, Simulrock showed the music video imagery on the screen while simultaneously transmitting the stereo audio track over FM radio. Viewers were instructed to turn down their television volumes and turn up their home stereo systems to watch the latest Top 40 tracks and alternative video clips in full, crisp, clean, stereo sound.
Radio DJ Andrew Peters hosted the program for much of its short-term run.
The commercial magazine-style program featured standard Top 40 hits, but also provided a platform for local and alternative talent, famously broadcasting early video clips from Adelaide's independent pub rock and post-punk music scene, interviews with bands, artists and tour dates.
Although it's long gone, Simulrock remains a distinct pop-culture memory for many South Aussies who grew up during the '80s music and media boom. I watched this after Music Express ended on Channel 7 and I'm pretty sure a few people "taped it" as well, for the music. 😂