Sam Kopper & the Gypsy Dancer
Sam Kopper was the first program director WBCN/Boston in 1968. Hired long-time Boston radio star Charles Laquidara, and the very first women Rock DJs in Boston radio history (Debbie Ullman and Maxanne Sartori). In 1970, he was one of the key radio stations nationally to promote and support the first Earth Day. In the 70s and 80s, Sam built and operated two different broadcast mobile units, under his company name Starfleet
Studios, with which he produced local and national live-via-satellite concert broadcasts of hundreds of artists in rock, country, R&B, reggae, jazz, and more. Groups included: The Police, U2, The Pretenders, Talking
Heads, James Taylor, Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Clash, James Brown, and more. "Public good" and socially positive broadcasts have always been part of his mission. Sam produced the No-Nukes national live broadcast from Central Park, NY in 198, and the worldwide radio feed of Live Aid from Philadelphia. Since 2009 Sam has been running and programming WBCN Free Form Rock as a streaming station (wbcn.com - click the "WBCN Free Form Rock" button). In early 2011, he decided to build a 21st Century version of his 1980s bus. This time it's very "green," burning bio-diesel fuel (from Mass BioFuel in Dedham), sporting all very low wattage lighting, and soon-to-be-installed solar panels for electricity. The new mobile unit is named "Gypsy Dancer" because of a line in an early 70s Joni Mitchell song, "A Little Green," in which she sings of a young free-spirited hippie girl, "...she's just
a gypsy dancer." The Gypsy Dancer provides broadcast and music production services to WBCN Free Form Rock, WATD, WXRV (The River), and will soon provide services to Emerson College's WERS, Berklee College of music, and other Boston area colleges and non-comm radio stations.
Studios, with which he produced local and national live-via-satellite concert broadcasts of hundreds of artists in rock, country, R&B, reggae, jazz, and more. Groups included: The Police, U2, The Pretenders, Talking
Heads, James Taylor, Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Clash, James Brown, and more. "Public good" and socially positive broadcasts have always been part of his mission. Sam produced the No-Nukes national live broadcast from Central Park, NY in 198, and the worldwide radio feed of Live Aid from Philadelphia. Since 2009 Sam has been running and programming WBCN Free Form Rock as a streaming station (wbcn.com - click the "WBCN Free Form Rock" button). In early 2011, he decided to build a 21st Century version of his 1980s bus. This time it's very "green," burning bio-diesel fuel (from Mass BioFuel in Dedham), sporting all very low wattage lighting, and soon-to-be-installed solar panels for electricity. The new mobile unit is named "Gypsy Dancer" because of a line in an early 70s Joni Mitchell song, "A Little Green," in which she sings of a young free-spirited hippie girl, "...she's just
a gypsy dancer." The Gypsy Dancer provides broadcast and music production services to WBCN Free Form Rock, WATD, WXRV (The River), and will soon provide services to Emerson College's WERS, Berklee College of music, and other Boston area colleges and non-comm radio stations.
