Aircheck Tracker
Profile: Emperor Rosko. Rosko, real name Michael Joseph Pasternak - was born in Hollywood where he spent his childhood, his father being film producer Joe Pasternak. He was educated in Paris, Switzerland, Japan and California and started in radio during his U.S Navy Service on an aircraft carrier where he was one of the DJs on the ship's radio network.
From that captive audience of a few thousand, he went on to be voted Europe's No.1 Disc Jockey in 1965, having conquered all the major European pop Networks including Radio Caroline and French Radio Luxembourg. Having wanted to work in Britain all his life, he was an obvious choice for Radio 1 and remained in the station's front-line up for some time from it's inception in 1967.
Rosko's main hobbies are car racing and records, his favourite artists including James Brown, The Rolling Stones and Kool & The Gang. Most of his time used to be spent touring the country with the "Rosko Roadshow" - the largest travelling disco in the world.
Rosko's Radio 1 shows were "The Rosko Show" on Saturday mornings from 10am to 1pm and, on Fridays from 4.30-5:45pm "Rosko's Roundtable" when he invited a fellow Radio 1 DJ and personality from the pop world to discuss the very latest singles and albums. In 1976, he had his first book published - appropriately a guide for other DJs - 'Emperor Rosko's DJ Book'.
Emperor
Rosko is well known to UK radio listeners by a radio history that includes Radio Caroline, Radio Luxembourg, and Radio 1. He has also
appeared on a number of local UK radio stations.
He now lives in the US, but retains fond memories of the UK, and he's delighted
to be back on air as detailed below.
Whereabouts:
Rosko
Returns The Emperor has made a return to the UK airwaves, via the Classic Gold
Digital network and on Sky Digital channel 859.
Each Saturday, since October 6 2001, Rosko has been broadcasting from his LA studio from
12noon - 3pm. The programme features include his popular style with classic hits
from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Stuart Keeling reports
that Rosko's show can also be heard between the same times on Sunday.
Bob
Glen adds: Emperor Rosko is today living on his ranch in Calabasas, a semi
rural area of Los Angeles where he assumes his own name of Michael Pasternak.
As a child, been the son of top film producer Joe Pasternak, it wasn't uncommon
for people like Elvis Presley and Mario Lanza to be seen lounging by his parents
backyard pool, but as he says this gave him no interest to go in to the movie
business and his big love was music and when Radio Caroline gave him a job in
the mid 60s this was the beginning of a long career in radio. Today he has
his own recording studio where he puts together over 40 weekly hours of radio
shows for 15 UK radio stations and others in Europe as well. He also runs
a party DJ business and has been known to spin discs at parties from Abu Dhabi
to Hollywood. The Emperor says things are tame now in comparison with his pirate
radio days when he and the other DJs were the stars of sixties radio. He
was recently guest of honour at a Radio Caroline reunion where he played
original Rosko tapes at a stadium appearance. And a final word from the Maverick
of Mayhem himself - "...the Rolling Stones and me may be golden oldies, but
as far as I'm concerned they are still good."
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