Radio Unnameable tells the story of the groundbreaking New York City disc jockey Bob Fass and his innovative use of the airwaves to inform, entertain and open dialogue amongst listeners.  His program is entirely free form, there’s no telling what might happen next.  It is a place to hear great music, conversations with artists and activists, miscellanea from the ether, and where the average listener can discuss local and international issues, from problems with landlords in the Bronx to the war in Afghanistan.

Radio Unnameable’s orbit of listeners are active participants and a key component to the program.  They are referred to as the “cabal”, defined as people meeting in secrecy at night in order to plan something subversive.  Fass utilizes this community as an organizing tool, working with listeners to stage protests and events, such as the 1967 “Sweep-In” where listeners gathered to clean up a Lower East Side block during a garbage strike.  He has talked callers down from bad trips and even averted a suicide attempt.  On Radio Unnameable every voice is heard.

From beginning, major cultural figures have dropped by the studio to perform, take calls and engage in the program’s spontaneity.  The list of notables who’ve appeared is astounding: Bob Dylan, Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Joni Mitchell, Yoko Ono, Muddy Waters, amongst many more.  In the film, we will showcase these appearances alongside current sounds that Fass champions.

As a station, WBAI is filled with volatile internal politics.  Fass often finds himself in the middle and as a result has been forced off the air numerous times.  One such incident, in the late 1970s, saw him being carried away in handcuffs.  The station today is flirting with bankruptcy and many staff members are volunteers, including Fass, who’s been unpaid for years.  His timeslot is never safe and support at WBAI is tenuous.

Bob Fass’s goal has always been to create a participatory democracy on air and parallels can be drawn with today’s innovations such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc…  We will exemplify this through interviews, verite scenes, breathtaking nighttime imagery of New York, playful animation and by showcasing Fass’s extensive archive of thousands of reel-to-reel recordings, photographs, film and video.  As radio is an aural medium, we will establish a distinctive style that combines the visual elements with the sounds and voices heard on Radio Unnameable. Sometimes the images will be directly related and other times the connection will be abstract and visceral.  The film’s palette will consist of 8mm and 16mm film, Hi8 video, VHS and HD.

Since it’s conception, there have been no boundaries for Radio Unnameable.  Fass’s unique and influential program has blazed a trail for everything from NPR to Howard Stern.  Our film is not only about Bob Fass and his remarkable journey, but also changing landscape on the FM dial and the necessity for free expression on the airwaves.