Museum of Broadcast Communications

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Museum of Broadcast Communications We are a hub to inspire inquiry, respectful discussion, thoughtful examination and celebration of radio, television and new media.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) collects, preserves, and presents historic & contemporary radio and television content; educating, informing, and entertaining the public through archives, public programs, screenings, exhibits & publications. We teach historical framing to make the past relevant to today and tomorrow while ensuring the inclusion of diverse voices. We design and support exhibits, curriculum and programs to serve as a bridge between producers, consumers, academics and students.

In October 1964, viewers were introduced to a new late-night R&B program called Night Train, hosted by broadcaster Noble...
10/18/2026

In October 1964, viewers were introduced to a new late-night R&B program called Night Train, hosted by broadcaster Noble Blackwell.

Airing at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, Nashville’s WLAC-TV brought Black performers and Nashville’s vibrant music scene into viewers’ homes. What began as a local program reached viewers across the country and overseas. Night Train became the nation’s first nationally syndicated R&B television series with an all-Black cast

The show featured artists including James Brown, Little Richard, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and Otis Redding, as well as local performers Jimmy Church and Frank Howard.

Explore the Evolution of Late Night Television, now at The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. For tickets, visit MUSEUM.TV!

Svengoolie may haunt your TV on MeTV only on Saturday nights at 7pm CT, but you can visit the final resting place of his...
10/17/2026

Svengoolie may haunt your TV on MeTV only on Saturday nights at 7pm CT, but you can visit the final resting place of his original coffin and explore his original set at the Museum of Broadcast Communications every Wednesday through Sunday! Step into the unhinged world of America’s legendary horror host at 440 W. Randolph Street in Chicago!

Svengoolie has been the premier horror show icon of Chicago since 1979. Multiple Emmy award winner Rich Koz became the hand-picked successor to the original Svengoolie back in the late '70s. He has appeared on a national basis on MeTV since April 2011, and generations of viewers have become fans of the monstrous mirth and movies that Svengoolie dispenses every week over the airwaves.

Lurking nearby are pieces of Svengoolie’s legendary on air set, Doug Graves’ organ, Zallman T. Tombstone, plus other familiar props and artifacts from decades of creatures, crypts, mad scientists, monsters and movies that made Saturday nights a little more frightening and a lot more fun.

This Halloween season, follow the shadows into the Museum and discover the wonderfully macabre television tradition that turned horror into entertainment. It’s a world where classic monsters rise again, bad movies can be frighteningly good, rubber chickens fly without warning and even the most terrifying creatures are never safe from a punchline.

Come face to face with the television history behind the king of horror hilarity.

The coffin is here.

The set is here.

All we’re missing is you.

Svengoolie at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
For tickets and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

THIS WEEKEND, experience the critically acclaimed Evolution of Late Night Television exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast ...
10/17/2026

THIS WEEKEND, experience the critically acclaimed Evolution of Late Night Television exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications at 440 W. Randolph Street in Chicago!

Explore more than 75 years of late-night television and its impact on American culture. The story begins with Faye Emerson’s pioneering broadcasts and continues through Steve Allen and Jack Paar’s Tonight Show years, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Arsenio Hall, Joan Rivers, Craig Ferguson, Bill Maher, Gutfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

Experience three iconic sets: Johnny Carson’s 1980s Tonight Show set, Jimmy Fallon’s traveling Tonight Show desk and set, and the original Late Show with Stephen Colbert set from the Ed Sullivan Theater. Sit behind all three desks and pose in front of Johnny Carson’s iconic curtain!

Discover artifacts from Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Arsenio Hall Show, including the saxophone Bill Clinton played during his 1992 presidential campaign. From Conan O’Brien, see Robert Smigel’s original Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and more!

Experience the shows, sets and stories that shaped late night. Open Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-6. For tickets and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

On Thursday, October 8, 2026, The Museum of Broadcast Communications proudly celebrated the induction of eight extraordi...
10/16/2026

On Thursday, October 8, 2026, The Museum of Broadcast Communications proudly celebrated the induction of eight extraordinary broadcasters into the Radio Hall of Fame at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel.

Established in 1988 and owned and operated by the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Radio Hall of Fame honors the legendary voices, personalities and innovators who have shaped radio and its enduring place in American culture.

Congratulations to our 2026 inductees: Boomer Esiason, Dennis Green, “Shotgun” Tom Kelly, Helen Little, Bob Pittman, Rickey Smiley, Charlie Van D**e and Fred Winston.

The Radio Hall of Fame also honored nine posthumous 2026 Legends inductees, recognizing influential broadcasters and executives whose contributions helped shape the radio industry. Selected by the Radio Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee, this year’s Legends include Lin Brehmer, Vivian Carter, Dale Dorman, Gary Krantz, Wink Martindale, B. Mitchell Reed, Pierre Robert, Polito Vega and D.E. “Duke” Wright.

Bobby Bones, a 2017 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Radio Hall of Fame Co-Chairmen Kraig Kitchin and Dennis Green welcomed attendees with opening remarks, followed by David Plier, Chairman, President and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, who shared an ambitious vision for the Museum’s future in Chicago, including expanded exhibits, state-of-the-art broadcast and podcast studios, and educational opportunities for the next generation of media professionals.

Paul Harvey Aurandt, son of legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey and Lynne ‘Angel’ Harvey, delivered a special tribute honoring the inductees, the Radio Hall of Fame and the Museum of Broadcast Communications. In his remarks, Harvey expressed his strong support for David Plier and his visionary plans for the Museum’s future, encouraging leaders throughout the radio and television industries to become deeply involved in supporting the Museum’s growth, expanding its educational mission, preserving broadcasting’s extraordinary legacy and inspiring the next generation of storytellers.

As the proud home of the Radio Hall of Fame, our Museum remains committed to celebrating radio’s remarkable past while building an exciting future for broadcasting, storytelling and media education.

Thank you to our inductees, presenters, sponsors and everyone who joined us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the very best of radio!

Photo credits: Sophie Castro

For more, visit MUSEUM.TV and RadioHallofFame.com.

On this day, October 16, 1973, NBC’s Tomorrow with Tom Snyder premiered at 1 a.m., immediately after The Tonight Show St...
10/16/2026

On this day, October 16, 1973, NBC’s Tomorrow with Tom Snyder premiered at 1 a.m., immediately after The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. It marked a new step for network television: NBC was programming the hour after Carson with a nightly talk show, giving late night a second act and creating space for a different kind of conversation.

Snyder came to the desk as a journalist and news anchor, not a comedian. His interviews felt less like a sequence of promotional appearances and more like extended conversations. He could be probing, provocative and unpredictable, with a loose style that encouraged guests to reveal more than they might in a conventional talk show. His subjects ranged from political figures and newsmakers to musicians and Hollywood stars.

Some of the program’s most talked-about interviews became part of television history. John Lennon’s 1975 appearance was his final televised interview. In 1981, Snyder traveled to San Quentin State Prison to interview Charles Manson. Tomorrow also introduced U2 to American television audiences, showing how the program could bring unexpected voices and subjects to a national audience.

The series later became Tomorrow Coast to Coast and ran until 1981. Snyder returned to television with The Tom Snyder Show on CNBC from 1993 to 1995, then hosted The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder on CBS from 1995 to 1999. Across those programs, he carried forward the intimate, freewheeling interview style he established after Carson, helping make the late-night hours a home for thoughtful, challenging and surprising conversations.

Visit The Evolution of Late Night Television exhibition at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. Get your tickets at MUSEUM.TV!

Today is Third Thursday! Join us this evening from 5pm-8pm for FREE admission for Illinois residents and a 10% discount ...
10/15/2026

Today is Third Thursday! Join us this evening from 5pm-8pm for FREE admission for Illinois residents and a 10% discount in the Museum Store.

Explore our award-winning exhibits, including:
- The Evolution of Late Night Television
- Johnny Carson: The Centennial
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Experience
- Five Decades of The Loop Radio: Where Chicago Rocked
- Our digital Radio Hall of Fame Gallery
- Bozo's Circus at 65, Svengoolie’s Original Coffin's Final Resting Place, and much more!

Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning to see your favorites, Third Thursdays are the perfect opportunity to experience the Museum—for FREE.

Reserve your complimentary tickets today at MUSEUM.TV.
Upcoming THIRD THURSDAYS: Thursday 11/19 and 12/17!

I LOVE LUCY PREMIERED ON CBS 75 YEARS AGO! On October 15, 1951, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz introduced television audie...
10/15/2026

I LOVE LUCY PREMIERED ON CBS 75 YEARS AGO! On October 15, 1951, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz introduced television audiences to Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, creating the format for the American television sitcom.

At the time, many television programs were broadcast live from New York and preserved only on kinescope. Ball and Arnaz wanted to make their show in California, so they helped pioneer a new approach: filming I Love Lucy on 35mm film, in front of a live studio audience, with three cameras. The episodes could be preserved and replayed, helping establish the rerun and syndication model that remains central to television today.

Behind the scenes, Desilu Productions and cinematographer Karl Freund helped bring that approach to life. On screen, Ball’s physical comedy and Arnaz’s musical talent and producing vision made Lucy and Ricky unforgettable, alongside Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Ethel and Fred Mertz.

The show also brought major stars into Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s world, including William Holden, John Wayne, Harpo Marx and Orson Welles. By grounding its comedy in recognizable family life and relationships, I Love Lucy brought a new realism to a situation comedy and helped establish the genre’s lasting form.

Desi Arnaz’s impact on I Love Lucy extended far beyond his role as Ricky Ricardo. As a producer and cofounder of Desilu Productions, he helped transform how television comedy was made. To keep the show in California and preserve the energy of a live performance, Arnaz championed filming before a studio audience with three cameras rolling at once. Shot on high-quality 35mm film, the episodes could be edited, preserved and rebroadcast, helping establish the production model that would shape sitcoms for decades.

Lucille Ball became a beloved guest on late-night television, returning to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show over the years. Her appearances included August 20, 1969, May 21, 1971, March 22 and November 15, 1974, and February 7, 1980. She appeared on The Dick Cavett Show on March 9, 1971, with Carol Burnett and her daughter Lucie Arnaz, and again on March 7, 1974. Ball also joined guest host Joan Rivers on The Tonight Show, including a memorable November 1985 appearance to discuss Stone Pillow. Lucy also appeared on Joan Rivers’s Fox program, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, on October 30, 1986, alongside First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Desi Arnaz appeared with Carson on March 4, 1976, alongside Bob Hope.

Visit the Museum of Broadcast Communications and explore our Evolution of Late Night Television exhibit, including Johnny Carson: The Centennial and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Experience!

For tickets and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

Forty years ago this week, Joan Rivers became the second woman to host a late-night talk show on network television, fol...
10/11/2026

Forty years ago this week, Joan Rivers became the second woman to host a late-night talk show on network television, following Faye Emerson. Emerson’s CBS program began in 1949 and expanded nationally in 1950.

The title The Late Show also had a history on CBS before Joan Rivers: beginning in 1951, CBS used it for nightly movie broadcasts. In 1986, Rivers premiered The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers on Fox, decades before David Letterman and Stephen Colbert hosted CBS’s late-night talk show of the same name.

Rivers brought a quick, irreverent comic style to the series, which was built to compete with The Tonight Show. She had been Johnny Carson’s permanent guest host, and leaving NBC to lead her own show on Fox marked a major turning point in her career and her relationship with Carson. Her premiere featured Cher, Elton John, Pee-wee Herman and David Lee Roth.

Behind the scenes, Rivers faced a fierce conflict with Fox executives over the show’s direction and her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, who was its executive producer. When Fox pressed her to fire Rosenberg, Rivers refused. The network fired both of them in May 1987, after only seven months on air. The program continued with other hosts, including Arsenio Hall.

Her series was brief, but its story reflects the risks she took, the barriers women faced in late-night television and the lasting place of The Late Show in broadcasting history.

Visit our Evolution of Late Night Television exhibit, now at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. For tickets and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

Happy Marathon Sunday! Visit us today from Noon to 6pm! Race-day street closures and CTA reroutes may affect your trip, ...
10/11/2026

Happy Marathon Sunday! Visit us today from Noon to 6pm! Race-day street closures and CTA reroutes may affect your trip, so check the latest updates before heading out.

For tickets to our Evolution of Late Night TV exhibit and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

Today, horror film buffs, Svengoolie fans and Nick Digilio’s devoted audience, gathered at the Museum of Broadcast Commu...
10/11/2026

Today, horror film buffs, Svengoolie fans and Nick Digilio’s devoted audience, gathered at the Museum of Broadcast Communications for a frightfully good afternoon with Nick Digilio, author and podcaster, and Rich ‘Svengoolie’ Koz. They took the stage for a lively conversation about scary movies and Nick’s new book, 40 Years, 40 Horror Films.

Joining them were Andrea Darlas, MBC Board Director; Jim Roche, Svengoolie’s Executive Producer; and Rick Kaempfer, the book’s publisher. It was an afternoon filled with great stories, laughs, book signings and plenty of horror fandom!

See the final resting place of the original Svengoolie coffin and set. For tickets and more, visit MUSEUM.TV!

Address

440 W Randolph Street
Chicago, IL
60606

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 6pm
Thursday 12pm - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+13122458200

Website

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