TV Land and Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications

TV Land and Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications Join Forces to Celebrate Comedy Tuesday May 17, 12:19 pm ET CHICAGO, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Land will step into the Comedy spotlight at the new $22-million Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC), now being developed in Chicago. The 10-year partnership includes an undisclosed monetary donation as well as a major promotional commitment from the network that underscores TV Land's commitment to the preservation of television and radio comedy. The donation to the non-profit radio and television museum will support the development of a highly interactive comedy exhibit, detailing the history of comedy on both radio and television. It will include a wide variety of classic and contemporary highlight clips from the genre's most memorable shows. The exhibit will also include original TV Land content that celebrates the pioneers of TV comedy as well as touch-screen kiosks that test a visitor's TV knowledge. Additionally, the exhibit will include excerpts from the critically acclaimed MBC Encyclopedia of Television and the MBC Encyclopedia of Radio. The 70,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in downtown Chicago in July of 2006, will feature nine genre focused exhibits on the evolution of American radio and television. In addition to Comedy, exhibits are being planned about Drama, Music, News, Talk, Sports, Game shows, Children's shows and Commercials. Other exhibits will introduce visitors to the pioneers who created the radio and television industry, the business side and promotional side of broadcasting and an exhibit introducing guests to a wide variety of career opportunities in the industry. A working radio and television studio will offer visitors with a take-away hands-on experience on the air. "TV Land is proud to support The Museum of Broadcast Communications and its efforts to preserve one of the most popular and enduring facets of entertainment: Comedy," explains Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land and Nick at Nite. "The commitment and spirit to the preservation of all facets of television and radio communications is an important undertaking and the MBC's vision and dedication is shared by everyone at TV Land. We eagerly anticipate the opening of this important and highly entertaining Museum, which will only add to Chicago's already vibrant cultural scene." "Comedy was the foundation of both radio and television programming and TV Land is synonymous with classic comedy," said Bruce DuMont, MBC Founder and President in announcing the major donation. "I know Larry Jones and his TV Land executive team have a love affair with comedy, and with their help, by using sounds and pictures, rare artifacts and dynamic retrospectives, we will create a remarkable museum experience," DuMont added. TV Land and the MBC will also create a series of public programs featuring comedy pioneers. Comedy artifacts in the exhibit will include original Edgar Bergen puppets Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Effie Klinker, a replica of Fibber McGee's famous closet and scripts from the long running radio classic, an I Dream of Jeannie bottle and the original Ernie Kovacs' Nairobi Trio masks. Cincinnati's Jack Rouse Associates, one of America's leading museum design firms, is creating the museum experience along with Steve Ryan of ShoConcepts of Hollywood, California. The new Museum of Broadcast Communications is projecting first year attendance in excess of 240,000 visitors in its new tourist-friendly home. The new museum will be located one block from the new Trump Tower Chicago and directly adjacent to two popular Chicago tourist attractions -- the famed House of Blues and Harry Caray's restaurant. The TV Land donation follows a recent $1-million donation from Paul and Angel Harvey, a $500,000 donation from DisneyHand, worldwide outreach of The Walt Disney Company, and $250,000 grants from The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Lee Phillip Bell of The Young and the Restless and Chicago's Polk Bros. Foundation. TV Land and all related logos and titles are trademarks of Viacom International, Inc. Now seen in over 82 million U.S. homes, TV Land's program mix features popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in mind -- the first generation of Americans to grow up watching television and features all time classic hits like All in the Family, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. The Museum of Broadcast Communications is one of only three broadcast museums in the United States. The new MBC will be the first public museum in the nation to achieve the Gold rating of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. For more information, please visit http://www.Museum.TV . 400 North State Street View from Kinzie Street Centrally located in ChicagoÂ's River North neighborhood and close to all forms of transportation, the new MBC will be publicly accessible. View from State Street The new MBC will have a main entrance on State Street. a dramatic two story atrium will welcome guests at the ground floor entry. Architectural Model: INTERIOR IMAGES: Providing high-speed access and delivery of the MuseumÂ's radio-television holdings, the Media Café will merge the concept of video-on-demand with light food and beverage service. Seated in a comfortable recliner or in the contemporary HDTV viewing area, visitors will surf the massive MBC media database and instantly see their favorite shows or explore the WiFi environment. Friends, comfort food, and a great cup of coffee will be close by. The A.C. Nielsen, Jr. Research Center will provide a place for scholars to study. Comedy Exhibit Following a video presentation in the Introductory Theater, visitors will explore radio and televisionÂ's influence through interactive genre exhibits. Located on the second floor will be an area dedicated to Comedy, the genre that was the foundation for the TV networksÂ' original prime time schedules. Using sound, text, rare artifacts, photos, and dynamic retrospectives, this exhibit will explore many early radio comedies and their stars who migrated to television during its infancy. Comedy will be one of eight interactive genre exhibits. The MBC will feature exhibits on Drama, Music, News, Talk, Sports, Game Shows, and ChildrenÂ's Programming. TV Land will support the development of the Comedy exhibit. Radio Hall of Fame Rotunda The Radio Hall of Fame recognizes and showcases the pioneers who shaped radio during its infancy, as well as contemporary talent from todayÂ's diverse programming formats. The Radio Hall of Fame includes executives, writers, producers, directors, and on-air personalities of all types, ranging from disc jockeys to musicians to sportscasters and newscasters. Guests can see into and through the Radio Hall of Fame Rotunda from anywhere on the second floor. Here, the story will be told through an edited collection of archival recordings and anecdotes from the pioneers and personalities of AmericaÂ's only Radio Hall of Fame. Graphics, archival photographs, unique artifacts, and sound bytes will be offset by media presentations. Framed pictures and windows will become Â"magic portalsÂ" containing stories about how radio both reflected and shaped a nation. Angel Harvey Center Located on the fourth floor, the Angel Harvey Center will serve as the primary venue for the MuseumÂ's public programs, media seminars, screenings, and conferences. The versatile center can accommodate a variety of public and private uses. The 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art center, which seats 500 theater-style and 400 for sit-down dining, will be fully wired for presentations and connected to the main television control room. A garden terrace overlooking State Street and the new Trump Tower will add a unique outdoor flavor to the programs and events in the Angel Harvey Center. >