The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and the American Revolution tells the story of how a fledgling underground Boston radio station became one of the most influential cultural and political voices of its era. Through rare archival recordings, previously unseen footage, music, and firsthand accounts, the film chronicles how WBCN challenged commercial broadcasting, fueled the anti-war movement and emerging civil rights, women’s rights, and gay rights movements, introduced groundbreaking artists, and created a new kind of participatory media in which listeners became part of the station itself. At a moment when independent media and public dissent feel newly urgent, the film shows how a radio station and its audience helped change a city, a generation, and the country.

(US / Directed by Bill Lichtenstein)
Unrated / 1 hr 56 min)