The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution
Before social media, before the internet, there was WBCN-FM Boston, the legendary Boston radio station that helped change American music, politics, and media forever. At a time when the mainstream press was failing to tell Americans the truth about Vietnam, the draft, and the Nixon administration, WBCN did something radical: it told the truth.
The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution—newly re-released under its expanded title—tells the story of how the Boston station helped ignite the cultural and political revolution of the late 1960s and beyond, becoming both participant and platform for the anti-war movement, civil rights, women’s and LGBTQ rights, and the rise of countercultural media. Built from over 100,000 archival images and recordings donated by listeners and drawn from the WBCN archives, the film features members of the legendary WBCN airstaff, along with rare early radio appearances by David Bowie, Lou Reed, Jane Fonda, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith.
Directed by Peabody Award-winner Bill Lichtenstein, who began working at WBCN at age 14 in 1970, The Airwaves Belonged to the People is, “A fascinating journey back in time when music and radio were at the center of a movement, and an inspiration for what media can be today. WBCN holds a special place in history.”—Jon Abbott, President and CEO of WGBH.
This film is eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund. Call the Box Office at 207.873.7000 to obtain YAAF tickets. Pay it forward! Donate to YAAF here.
WATCH TRAILER >
The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution—newly re-released under its expanded title—tells the story of how the Boston station helped ignite the cultural and political revolution of the late 1960s and beyond, becoming both participant and platform for the anti-war movement, civil rights, women’s and LGBTQ rights, and the rise of countercultural media. Built from over 100,000 archival images and recordings donated by listeners and drawn from the WBCN archives, the film features members of the legendary WBCN airstaff, along with rare early radio appearances by David Bowie, Lou Reed, Jane Fonda, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith.
Directed by Peabody Award-winner Bill Lichtenstein, who began working at WBCN at age 14 in 1970, The Airwaves Belonged to the People is, “A fascinating journey back in time when music and radio were at the center of a movement, and an inspiration for what media can be today. WBCN holds a special place in history.”—Jon Abbott, President and CEO of WGBH.
This film is eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund. Call the Box Office at 207.873.7000 to obtain YAAF tickets. Pay it forward! Donate to YAAF here.
WATCH TRAILER >