I'll jump in with my memories...
The 1987 CD releases came with fanfare, but you have to remember that this was pre-internet. Your media was newspapers and news clips aired from 6:00-6:30 and 11:00-11:30.
Yes. One hour a day, minus commercials, to develop an opinion on world events if you didn't subscribe to a newspaper.
I worked in music sales then and the EMI reps here in Canada were losing their minds. It was utter chaos when the rep showed up at my store to unbox this enormous cardboard display rack that came with 20 pages of IKEA-like directions, only to find that ...