Museum of Television & Radio

With its collection of more than 100,000 media broadcasts and recordings, the Museum of Television & Radio examines themes in American life ranging from pop culture to politics and beyond through exhibitions, screenings, seminars, and education classes. While the scope of the museum's collection and programs are global, the museum holds materials that reflect New York City's diversity and portray the metropolis both as a subject and as a backdrop for media productions. The museum holds comprehensive news coverage of September 11th and serves as a resource for the study of similarly significant events that have shaped contemporary history and culture.

On-site programs: Participants in the New York on the Box program critically examine New York as it appears on television, analyze images of the city in both past and current fictional representations, and consider the importance of setting and location in narrative and the extent to which such portrayals reflect reality. Pre- and postvisit activities and videographies are available. (Grades 7–12; $)

Professional development: The museum offers several workshops each year that confer new teacher credit. Additional workshops can be arranged for individual schools or groups of teachers. (For teachers of grades K–12; $)

Student/teacher events: The annual Urban Visionaries Youth Film Festival held at MTR showcases a selection of films made by New York City youth that focus on issues critical to their lives such as racism, immigration, hip-hop, success, and sexuality. (Grades 9–12; free)

Additional resources: The MTR library provides access to the museum's collection daily on a first come, first served basis.

General information: Address: 25 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019; Phone: (212) 621-6600; Web: www.mtr.org.

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