Contacts:
Bruce DuMont
Museum of Broadcast Communications
(708) 250-6844
brucedumont@museum.tv
Megan Brewster
Aqua Marketing & Communications
(617) 285- 0771
Megan@WelcometoAqua.com
National Radio Hall of Fame Unveils New Exhibit Honoring Powel Crosley, Jr.
Wall Timeline Celebrates His Pivotal Role in History as Inventor, Broadcaster and Businessman
CHICAGO – (July 16, 2014) – The National Radio Hall of Fame (NRHOF) recently opened a
featured exhibit celebrating the contributions of WLW-AM/Cincinnati Founder Powel Crosley Jr. on
State Street in downtown Chicago.
The exhibit chronicles the life and career of the American innovator who made radio history and is
most revered for bringing radio to the masses through the manufacturing of inexpensive radios
during radio’s first defining decade.
The 30 ft. by 10 ft. wall timeline features six of Crosley’s radios dating back to the 1930’s and stands
to explain the pivotal role Crosley played in our nation’s history as an inventor, broadcaster and
businessman. By the time of his death in 1961, Crosley had invented, introduced, manufactured or
produced the following, all of which are celebrated through the National Radio Hall of Fame exhibit:
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WLW Radio/Cincinnati – “The Nation’s Station” – which fed network programming to NBC
and Mutual in the 1930’s, and used an unprecedented experimental 500,000-watt transmitter
The first compact economy car
The first auto radio
Introduction of Soap Operas to radio
Introduction of night baseball (as part-owner of the Cincinnati Reds)
The facsimile machine
The 35mm camera
Four airplanes
Many of the exhibit’s fixtures are on loan from the Manatee County Historical Records Library and
the Powel Crosley Estate both in Bradenton, Florida, Crosley’s winter home where the multi-million
dollar mansion, built in 1929, still remains on the shores of Sarasota Bay and is on the National
Register of Historic Places.
The exhibit in the NRHOF Gallery, located inside the Museum of Broadcast Communications, also
features a brief video biography of Crosley’s remarkable career. The exhibit was made possible
thanks to a donation from The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tourism marketing
arm of Manatee County, Florida. The CVB operates and maintains the Powel Crosley Estate on
behalf of the ownership of Manatee County Government.
“Powel Crosley, Jr. made monumental contributions to the United States and to the radio industry.
His innovation and vision helped define radio as an important medium, bringing people together and
sharing a culture,” said MBC President Bruce DuMont. “This new exhibit commemorates his hard
work and dedication to radio.”
Inducted in 2013, Crosley is one of 183 members in the National Radio Hall of Fame. The Hall of
Fame’s Gallery includes interactive listening kiosks on all inductees as well as historic artifacts like
Edgar Bergen’s puppets, Charley McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Effie Kilinker, scores of vintage
radios, a replica of Fibber McGee’s Closet and the Paul and Angel Harvey Radio Center.
About the Museum of Broadcast Communications
The mission of the Museum of Broadcast Communications is to collect, preserve, and present
historic and contemporary radio and television content and to educate, inform, and entertain the
public through its archives, public programs, screenings, exhibits, publications and online access to
its resources. The MBC is located at 360 North State Street in downtown Chicago and is open from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $12.00 for adults.
About the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key area is located on Florida’s west coast
between St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is bordered on the north by Tampa Bay, and to the west by
the Gulf of Mexico. Easy to get to, but off the beaten path, filled with “Old Florida” ambience
brimming with opportunities to experience Florida at its most real and authentic, the Bradenton/Anna
Maria Island/Longboat Key area is a part of the state worth discovering and exploring again and
again.
The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes tourism to Bradenton, Anna Maria
Island and Longboat Key area and the rest of Manatee County, including Palmetto, Holmes Beach,
Bradenton Beach, Cortez, Ellenton, Myakka City, Ft. Hamer, Lakewood Ranch and Parrish, through
domestic and international advertising, public relations and marketing efforts. For more information
on the Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key area, please visit
www.bradentongulfislands.com.
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