Museum of Broadcast Communications facts for kids

The Museum of Broadcast Communications (often called MBC) is an American museum located in Chicago. Its main goal is to collect, save, and share important moments from radio and television history. The museum also aims to teach, inform, and entertain people. It does this through its huge collection of archives, public events, special screenings, exhibits, and online resources.

The Museum's Journey and Locations

The Museum of Broadcast Communications was started in 1982. It first opened its doors in June 1987 in a building called River City. This was at 800 S. Wells St. in Chicago.

Moving to New Homes

The museum stayed at River City until June 1992. Then, it moved to the Chicago Cultural Center. The MBC was a popular spot there. In December 2003, the museum left the Cultural Center. It planned to open its very own building at 360 N. State St. in 2005.

Building a New Home

Building the new MBC museum faced many delays. Construction even stopped in 2006. The half-finished building was almost sold in 2008. The museum's founder, Bruce DuMont, said this was because of a lack of state funding.

Finally, in November 2009, DuMont announced that money from the state of Illinois had been secured. Construction started again. Seven months later, Governor Pat Quinn confirmed that Illinois would give the MBC $6 million. This money helped finish the building.

The new MBC building was very large, about 62,000 square feet. It was designed to have more space for its collections. It also included two exhibit galleries. There were even working radio and television studios.

Reopening the Museum

After being closed for eight and a half years, the museum reopened. It welcomed visitors to its new home at 360 N. State St. on June 13, 2012. This was exactly 25 years after it first opened. Before the official reopening, the National Radio Hall of Fame gallery inside the museum had already opened in December 2011.

The pre-opening event on June 12 was very exciting. Famous actors like John Mahoney (from Frasier) and Betty White (from The Golden Girls) were there. Newscaster Hugh Downs (from 20/20) also attended.

Online Access and Challenges

The MBC also worked to make its archives available online. Between 2009 and early 2011, about 70,000 registered users accessed its 400,000 online videos. However, the number of visitors to the physical museum dropped. When it was at the Cultural Center and free, it had 225,000 visitors each year. After moving and charging an entrance fee, it dropped to 7,300 visitors in 2014.

In 2013, the museum faced another challenge. A "server crash" caused the loss of access to about 10 percent of its digitized radio and television programs. These had been available for free online.

Special Exhibits and Changes

In September 2017, the MBC launched a major new exhibit. It was called "Saturday Night Live: The Experience." This large exhibit covered 12,000 square feet. It was set to run through the end of 2018. The museum hoped this exhibit would bring in many more visitors.

In March 2018, news came out that the museum was looking to sell two of its four floors. This was to help the museum's finances. The goal was to make the museum financially strong for the future.

In March 2019, the museum sold its third and fourth floors. This deal brought in $6 million. This money was used to help the museum keep operating and pay down its debt. After the "Saturday Night Live: The Experience" exhibit closed, the museum's space for exhibits was reduced.

The museum then brought in new exhibits from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics" opened in May 2019. Another exhibit, "Stay Tuned: Rock on TV," was planned for October.

Recent Years and Closure

The MBC temporarily closed its doors on March 15, 2020. This was due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The museum focused on its online educational programs during this time. It briefly reopened in the summer of 2020. However, low attendance forced it to close again. It had a "soft reopening" in October 2021.

On April 30, 2023, the MBC announced its final day of operation at 360 N. State St. The remaining exhibit space was sold to a developer. The museum hopes to reopen in a new location within the next 18 to 24 months.

National Radio Hall of Fame

The National Radio Hall of Fame (NRHOF) gallery was located on the second floor of the MBC's building. The NRHOF has been connected with the MBC since 1991. Even after the museum sold some floors, the NRHOF gallery was partly restored on the second floor.

Encyclopedia of Television

The museum also supports the Encyclopedia of Television. This huge online resource has over 1,000 essays. It is considered a very important source for learning about the history of television around the world.

See also

• 20th Century Technology Museum
• Museum of Radio and Technology
• Paley Center for Media
• The Museum of Classic Chicago Television