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September 23 Welcome to the Crossroads of Media, Newsmakers, and Pop CultureThis fall where else can you watch an advance screening of the season finale of Weeds with Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins... see Katie Couric shortly after she assumes her anchor position... join Debra Messing for a look at a recently discovered I Love Lucy movie . . . listen to Mikhail Gorbachev reflect on the end of the Cold War . . . hear Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor discuss their film collaboration and their favorite radio moments from the MTR collection . . . Go to mtr.org for a look at all the exciting upcoming events. About MTRThe Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Founded by William S. Paley in 1976, MTR draws upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community to explore and explain the intersections between media and society. Through the MTR Media Center and the International Council, MTR develops new initiatives and fosters partnerships around the world. The general public and industry professionals can access the collection and participate in programs at both of MTR’s locations that celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities and leaders who are shaping the media landscape. September 22 What will I see there?This unique Museum collects programming—radio shows, television programs, and commercial advertisements in both media—and makes that programming available to the general public.
In our library you choose a program from the collection. Then you go to watch or listen to it at a console—individually, or with up to four people at a family console. You can also drop in to a screening in one of the Museum’s theaters. Each day we screen a wide variety of programming from our collection, from David Bowie in performance or a look at the work of Jim Henson or the short films of Saturday Night Live. In our theaters you enjoy the communal experience of watching television together. All of the programming is also available for you to watch or listen to at an individual console. Throughout the year we offer numerous public programs that bring together writers, directors, producers, actors, critics, journalists, and artists from many disciplines to discuss everything from the creative process behind television and radio to the current trends in media and popular culture. Will I see Archie Bunker’s chair?No. That’s in the Smithsonian. We do not collect artifacts of any kind as part of our permanent collection. We only collect programming. We occasionally have gallery exhibits that display television and radio related pieces. Do you have everything ever broadcast?No. It is a curated collection. Programs have been selected on the basis of artistic achievement, social impact, or historic significance. What’s in your collection? Can I look online to see what you have?We have over 120,000 programs and advertisements, covering more than eighty-five years of television and radio history (beginning with a 1918 speech by labor leader Samuel Gompers). The collection spans all genres: comedy, drama, news, public affairs, performing arts, children’s, sports, reality, animation, and documentary, and includes a significant international presence, with seven thousand assets from seventy countries. The same collection is available in both New York and Los Angeles. At this time we do not have the database of our collection available online. You need to come to the Museum in New York or Los Angeles to access it. But if you look at the information about our past thematic screening series, by going here, you will get a good idea of what you can find in the collection. And you can contact one of our reference librarians to inquire about specific programs: Tuesdays to Fridays, from 4:00 to 5:45 p.m. (EST) only, call 212.621.6600, press "0" to speak to an operator, and ask for the library; or email us through http://mtr.org Can I get a clip of something in your collection for a project I’m working on?Absolutely not. Unlike many museums, we do not own the rights to the individual programs that are here. They were donated to us only to be viewed or listened to in the Museum by the general public. Has the Museum been around a long time?It was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley and opened in 1976 as The Museum of Broadcasting at 1 East 53 Street in New York City in a building that was converted office space. Paley’s vision was to make sure that programming was being preserved—in order to preserve our own cultural history—and to let this collection be accessible to the general public walking in off the street. In 1990 we changed our name to The Museum of Television & Radio and in 1991 moved into a Philip Johnson–designed building at 25 West 52 Street, named for William S. Paley. In 1996 we opened The Museum of Television & Radio in Los Angeles at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, in a new building designed by Richard Meier and named for Leonard H. Goldenson. Do I need to be a Member to use the library?No, but there are many benefits to being a Member of this unique television and radio museum community, including extended viewing time at the consoles and discounts on event tickets. Go here for details. |
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