Museum of Television & Radio
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The Museum of Television & Radio (MTR) (formerly The Museum of Broadcasting) is a set of archives in the U.S. dedicated to the collection of programs and advertising broadcast via radio and television. It has two branches; in New York City and Los Angeles. The New York City branch is in the heart of Midtown Manhattan on 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. The Los Angeles branch is located at 465 Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, near the world-famous Rodeo Drive.
The museum is committed to the idea that many television and radio programs were works of art to be preserved for posterity's sake. Instead of being a museum of artifacts and memorabilia, the museum is mostly comprised of screening rooms, including two full-sized theaters. More than 120,000 television and radio programs are available in the museum's library, and during each visit, viewers can select and watch up to four television shows at an individual console. Some television programs date back to 1948, with radio programs dating back to the 1920s.
Seminars and interviews with industry luminaries are conducted frequently, all of which are recorded and available for viewing on individual consoles. Past seminar participants have included Bob Hope, Jack Paar, Roy Huggins, Lucille Ball, James Garner, Dick Cavett, Al Franken, and dozens of others. Also available for viewing are seminars featuring the cast and production crew from many television shows. The museum has acquired many lost episodes of classic television shows, and has produced documentary features about the history and impact of television and radio.
The museum obtains the television and radio shows via donations by people who happen to have had copies of individual shows. The museum agrees not to sell the material or permit it to leave the museum.
