ReggaeRadio

"Back in the day", radio was an extremely important component of the music scene and the music industry. But finding reggae on the radio was difficult around the U.S. Boston had an early and eventually very significant presence of reggae on the radio, with the WERS' Rockers show running daily for 3 hours for a couple of decades...


Here is a listing of evidence of reggae shows I found through various conversations and searches:

(many of these are from Cambridge Chronicle and/or Boston Globe listings)


Jul 1973 Bob Marley concert from Paul's Mall broadcast live on WBCN


1975:

Mar 30 1975 "West Indian Music" show on WTBS (likely "Dr. Soul" was the DJ - he certainly was later)


1975:

July 1975: "Jamaica Rundown" show by White Ram (and Scott McPherson) on WBOS, Sunday at noon

(ran until maybe 1978)

1976:

Mar 1976 Reggae show on WRBB


1977:

May 1977 White Ram: reggae show on WUNR

Dec 1977 White Ram: reggae show on WUNR


1978:

May 1978 Jah Malla peformed live on WCAS

Fall 1978 Doug Herzog starts Strictly Rockers on WERS (later just Rockers)


  • at some point in these early years, Michael Perkins also did a show on WERS

1979:

Apr 1979 "West Indian Music" show: Dr. Soul - calypso and reggae on WTBS (this is just the last listing in the Boston Globe - there were 12 in 1975, one in 1976, two in 1977, and 2 in 1978)

Sep 1979 "Reggae with Cal" WMFO (Fri 6-8pm)

Dec 1979 "Reggae Bloodlines" with Peter Simon on WCAS starts (1hr on the Saturdays)


1980:

Jan 1980: first appearance of Glendale Reed's "Roots, Rock, Reggae" show on WRBB (Sun 1-5pm)

Mar 1980: first appearance of Rockers on WERS (M-F 6-8pm, then 4-7pm)

Mar 1980: Ras Gary's "Radio Free Ethiopia" on WMFO

Sep 1980: first appearance of Magnus Johnstone's Reggae Mukasa WMBR


1984:

Apr 1984: first appearance of Julia Goldrosen's Dub Frequency on WHRB (later Jennifer Spangler) (Saturdays - time?)

Michael Perkins has "Strictly Reggae" show on WFNX from 1-4pm on Sundays


1987:

Dec 1987: Reggae show on WILD (Sun noon-2pm)


at least by 1990: Ragamuffin International w/Lisa and Robin on WBZC (Sat 1-5pm)


1993:

an 1993: "Jam Session" on WMBR

Jan 1993: Rockers, Ragamuffin Int'l, Dub Frequency, Roots Rock Reggae all still going


WCAS = Cambridge AM radio (740)

WMBR = MIT Radio (88.1)

WERS = Emerson College Radio (88.9)

WZBC = Boston College radio (90.3)

WMFO = Tufts Univ. radio (91.5)

WUNR = AM commercial radio (92.9?)

WBOS = commercial radio (92.9)

WBCN = rock radio, commercial station (104.1)

WRBB = Northeastern Univ. Radio (104.9)