Museum of Broadcast Communication: Sneak peek

MBC

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Tonight, the Museum of Broadcast Communications is throwing a "Sneak Preview Open House" gala. The museum—which has had a difficult time getting off the ground—recently received a $6 million grant from the state to complete its exterior. It's hoping the finished window-clad State Street facade will inspire donors to give lavishly tonight.

This morning, TOC photog Andrew Nawrocki and I did a little sneak previewing of our own. We checked out the gallery space, two floors that include displays on local news-makers, radio, children's television, reality TV, sports broadcasting and the Kennedy-Nixon debate. In preparation for tonight's benefit, the artifacts—ranging from a layout of the CBS newsroom done by the Secret Service for that famous debate to the original Bozo the Clown buckets—dot the rooms, still bare and wall-less. For now it seems a little local-heavy (and, likely due to the collection's six-year hiatus, there's a dearth of internet-related displays), but executive producer Marc Glick said the museum hopes to touch on these things once completed.

The museum wants to have the second floor up-and-running in a few months. (Unfortunately, that sounds a little ambitious to us.) For now, you can visit Mon–Fri noon–5pm (free admission), and take a photo of yourself in front of the Oprah Show's former pink, sponge-painted studio door.