Rock & Pop didn't just play Argentine rock, it helped decide what Argentine radio was allowed to sound like. Forty years after it first went on air, the station is still treated as a turning point in the country's broadcasting history rather than just another rock format.
Launched Into an Explosion
The station signed on 23 January 1985 on 106.3 FM under the call sign LS6, launched by businessmen Raúl Fernández and Marcelo Morano in partnership with Daniel Grinbank, timed to the explosion of Argentine rock and pop happening at that exact moment, according to the station's history. It began broadcasting from Avenida Belgrano 270 under a license held by Radiodifusora Esmeralda S.A., years before it would settle into the Freire 932 studios it shares today with sister stations La 990 and Metro 95.1.
From Music-Only to a Live Voice
Rock & Pop started as a purely music-driven format before its first real programming shift arrived with "Feedback," the station's first live show. That live-hosted model would go on to define the station's identity far more than any single playlist, turning Rock & Pop into a launching pad for on-air personalities rather than just a rock jukebox.
The Show That Changed the Rules
Mario Pergolini joined the station in 1987 with "Feedback," co-hosted with Ari Paluch, before splitting off in 1988 to host "Malas Compañías." His most influential work came in 1993 with "¿Cuál es?," a program he ran alongside Eduardo de la Puente and Marcelo Gantman that, according to reporting on Pergolini's tenure, redefined the codes of Argentine radio and built a loyal generation of listeners willing to follow the show away from tradition. Pergolini left the station in 2011 when "¿Cuál es?" ended, closing what's widely regarded as the station's golden era.
A Homecoming for the 40th Anniversary
Fourteen years after his departure, Pergolini returned to Rock & Pop in 2025 to host a special edition of the station's Ranking countdown as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, according to coverage of the anniversary broadcast. That a departed host would be invited back specifically to mark the station's history says as much about Rock & Pop's cultural weight as any ratings figure could.
Still the Station That Broke the Mold
Ownership has changed hands more than once, from Raúl Moneta's 2010 acquisition to Alpha Media's purchase in 2016, but the station's identity, built on live-hosted programming that treats rock as a culture rather than a genre, has outlasted every change of owner. Four decades in, Rock & Pop 95.9 is still the station that Argentine radio measures itself against.