He was influenced in his career choice by Los Angeles disc jockeys Lord Tim Hudson at KFWB and Wolfman Jack at XERB the Mighty 1090 (Rosarito Beach MX).

Pasternak's opportunity to broadcast came when he was in the US Navy, where he presented a show on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, using the name Michael Prescott.

's, the Bar-Kays, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Sam & Dave, and Otis Redding on the two-album set The Stax/Volt Tour in London, recorded at the Finsbury Park Astoria (later the Rainbow Theatre) on 17 March 1967.

[7] As a disc jockey with BBC Radio 1 at its launch in September 1967, Rosko initially recorded shows in France for the Midday Spin programme.

On his first Midday Spin show, Rosko introduced himself with "I am the Emperor, the geeter with the heater, your leader, your groovy host from the West Coast, here to clear up your skin and mess up your mind.

Together with fellow Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis, he launched the first mobile discothèque, the "Rosko International Roadshow".

There was no sponsor and the free distribution was challenged by the societies of authors and composers in the US based on complaints of unfair competition for FM radio.

[12][clarification needed] He makes occasional Sunday broadcasts for the radio station The Mighty KBC on 6.095 MHz (49m shortwave) in Europe.

[citation needed] Rosko was the inspiration for the Philip Seymour Hoffman character "The Count" in the comedy film The Boat That Rocked, known as Pirate Radio in the United States.