The Now Explosion went on the air in Atlanta, GA, in April, 1970. Since Ted Turner’s station was new he filled the late nights and weekends with The Now Explosion. Like MTV 10 years later, the show was programmed to stay on the air for hours at a time. In Atlanta, The Now Explosion was on the air 28 hours each weekend. In an age when TV became ancient grainy movies after midnight, this was a life saver for people too altered to go out or go to sleep. It was also very imaginative for the time. “Did the TV really just do that? or is it my mind??”
Production of music videos was often done after midnight at channel 36 where many Atlanta residents performed in synch with top forty songs. Some music videos were shot on film in Atlanta and suburbs. Later, when the program was syndicated nationally the videos made in Atlanta were seen across the country in cities such as San Francisco, CA, Washington DC, Sacramento, CA and Boston. In New York City, it ran for hours with high ratings before and after Yankee baseball games.After thirteen weeks, in Atlanta, The Now Explosion was picked up by Ted Turner, and was seen on his Atlanta and Charlotte TV Stations for an additional 13 weeks.
All of the original Now Explosion music videos are now being digitized. The videos can be found on the Now Explosion Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thenowexplosion/