Would you like a latte with your Dragnet?

MBC Media Cafe Brings TV & Radio History into the Digital Age

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2006

Media Contact:
Gina Doyle, MBC, 312-396-0103

Chicago -- The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) in Chicago unveiled plans today for enhanced public access to its collection of over 85,000 hours of historic radio and television programming.

As the centerpiece of the new 70,000-square-foot, hands-on museum being built in downtown Chicago, the MBC Media Caf? will provide street-level access to the MBC?s ever expanding digital archive. It will be an invaluable resource for both the casual visitor and serious researchers and will serve to fulfill the educational mission of the MBC by making available the rich history of American radio and television.

The MBC Media Cafe will provide access using touch-screen technology in a visitor-friendly cafe setting where guests will engage the collection at their fingertips while they enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee and a snack," said Bruce DuMont, Founder-President and CEO of the newest broadcast museum. "In particular, the MBC Media Cafe will highlight the early pioneers and showcase the creative trend setters who have defined radio and television programming as we know it today," added DuMont.

The MBC Media Cafe collection will be organized into eight genres, reflecting the dynamic exhibits to be housed upstairs at the new museum: Comedy, Drama, Music-Variety, Games-Reality, Children, Talk, News and Sports. The Cafe will also connect to the extensive holdings of documentaries and commercials with offerings constantly updated as new digital content is added to the collection. Located on the same floor as the Media Cafe, the A.C. Nielsen, Jr. Research Center will provide access to material still residing in non-digital formats.

Using the MBC collection as a foundation, regularly scheduled public programs will produce new scholarship and foster fresh debate on the role of broadcast media in our society.

The $32-million project has the support of The Walt Disney Company, NBC/Universal, Viacom?s TV Land, CBS 2 Chicago as well as The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Lee Phillip Bell, Paul and Angel Harvey, Jerry Springer, the State of Illinois and all major Illinois foundations. The MBC is part of a national archival effort to preserve radio and television history and additional support is sought from all those who contribute to, enjoy, study and care about radio and television.

For further information, contact the Archives Department at The Museum of Broadcast Communications at archives@museum.tv.

For more information, please visit Museum.TV.