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The Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution

The Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution

The incredible, true story of how a radio station, politics, 

and rock and roll changed everything.

The Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution

The Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American RevolutionThe Airways Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution

The incredible, true story of how a radio station, politics, 

and rock and roll changed everything.

Coming to Theaters starting May 1

THEATRE LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES

The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution is an award-winning documentary about how a Boston rock radio station became both participant and platform for the anti-war movement, civil rights, LGBTQ and women’s rights, and the rise of countercultural media in the late 1960s and early 1970s.


Newly re-released under its expanded title, the film resonates powerfully in today’s political and media climate. Drawing on more than 100,000 archival audio and visual artifacts, it features rare early live radio appearances by Jane Fonda, Abbie Hoffman, Lou Reed, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith.


Directed by Peabody Award-winner Bill Lichtenstein who began working at WBCN at age 14 in 1970.   


Begins screening May 1 in select theaters nationwide.


What critics are saying about the film:

  

“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, WGBH
 

“A team of young heroes, women and men, black and white, straight and gay, passionate, fearless and revolutionary, broadcast the music and ideas that shaped how every college kid thought, felt, and acted for the rest of our lives.” — Rob Barnett, former president, CBS radio programming; author of Next Job, Best Job
 

“As a budding broadcaster at powerhouse WBZ-AM in the early 1970s I fell for WBCN and told my boss, who said: ‘FM? It’ll never last.’ He was right in that there will never be another WBCN.” — Robin Young, host of Here and Now (NPR)
 
“Living in Boston in those years, and deeply immersed in activism, it was impossible to miss the crucial role of WBCN in creating an engaged activist community, and, not least, providing indispensable information and analysis.” — Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor, MIT; Laureate Professor and Agnese Nelms Haury Chair, University of Arizona 


“I watched the movie with awe . . ." -- Ty Burr, Boston Sunday Globe


“Timely as all hell.” — Jared Rasic, Source Weekly, Bend, Oregon


“Captures the station’s rollicking spirit and free-form style,“ — Peter Keough, Boston Globe


"Demonstrates how a rock radio station built a powerful community with its listeners and helped redirect the course of American history during the tumultuous 1960’s."
-- National Federation of Community Broadcasters

Movie Trailer

Photo Gallery

Credits

With:

Al Perry

Andy Beaubien

Barry Schneier

Bill Lee

Bo Burlingham

Bob Slavin

Charles Daniels

Charles Laquidara

David Bieber

David Hull

Debbie Ullman

Danny Schechter 

Dinah Vaprin

Eric Jackson

James Montgomery

Jim Parry

Joe Rogers

John Brodey

John Scagliotti

JJ Jackson

Marsha Steinberg

Michael Ansara

Mitchell Kertzman

Noam Chomsky

Norm Winer

Peter Simon

Ray Riepen

Richard Barna

Rochelle Ruthchild

Ron Della Chiesa

Sam Kopper

Steve Nelson

Steven Segal

Steven Wayne

Tim Montgomery

Tommy Hadges


Produced and Directed by:

Bill Lichtenstein


Executive Producers:

Jay Rooney

Mitchell Kertzman

Richard Barna

Robert Sennott

Sridhar Tayur


Director of Photography:

Rob Massey


Edited by:

Timothy Meagher

Bill Lichtenstein


Original Film Material by:

Andy Warhol

Ricky Leacock

Kevin Lynch

Ken Brown

Louis Menand

Kent Beyda, Mark Winer and WK Maxwell


Still Photography:

Peter Simon

Jeff Albertson

Spencer Grant

Nick DeWolf

Liane Brandon

Barry Schneier

Ron Pownall

David Bieber

Steven C. Borack

Charles Sawyer 

Dan Beach

Howard Ruffner

Timothy Carlson

Yale Joel 


Archival Restoration Consultant:

Paul Adams


Music Consultant:

Anthony Wermuth 


Story Editor and Consulting Producer: 

Peter Miller 


Publicity:  

Chris Kelly, Fifth House Public Relations


Legal Assistance: 

Center for Media & Social Impact, American University, Patricia Aufderheide

American University Washington College of Law, Peter Jaszi, Esq. 


Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Christopher T. Bavitz, Esq. 


Jay Fialkov, Esq.


WilmerHale, Jerry Marr, Esq.


Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Sula R. Fiszman, Esq., David Johanson, Esq.,  Lawrence T. Stanley, Jr., Esq., Peter G. Byrne, Esq. 


Board of Advisors:

Pat Aufderheide

Noam Chomsky

Rob Cox

Jeff Feuerzig

Hester Fuller

Peter Jaszi

Marc Kirkeby

Jeff Kisseloff

Al Kooper

Phillip Martin

Philip Rosen

Robert Ross

Ken Steinhardt

Dick Wingate


Produced by Lichtenstein Creative Media and LCMedia Productions, Inc. in association with the Center for Independent Documentary and UMass Special Collections and University Archives 

(c) 2021 LCMedia Productions, Inc. 

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