The Paley Center closed five years ago. The staff is now in office space in Century City and the archives have been moved to the Beverly Hills Public Library:
When you visit The Paley Archive at the Beverly Hills Public Library, you will be a part of a vibrant cultural community where families, students, scholars, artists, and more can explore and engage with the history of media.
www.paleycenter.org
And the archives are far more national in focus than they are Southern California, as well as being much more video-oriented than audio-oriented.
The Paley Archive—The Paley Center for Media’s permanent collection—began with just 718 programs and has since grown into the largest public collection of its kind with over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements that span more than a century of media history.
www.paleycenter.org
Several years ago, I talked with then-living broadcast people in Los Angeles about trying to do something similar to the Bay Area museum down there. The consensus: Film is number one in L.A. TV is number 25. Radio is number 100.
I think it's tragic. So, right after I got home on Saturday, I paid my 40 bucks (plus $10 for a nifty name tag) and became a CHRS member. I plan on using whatever voice and influence I have (I know
@BossRadioDJ personally ...does that count?) to suggest that since L.A. won't and since it is the CALIFORNIA Historical Radio Society, that the focus should broaden to statewide.
I'm sure that doesn't mean physical space. The fact we have Alameda is something of a miracle. But I think a lot of preservation and public access to the history can be accomplished online, in addition to the great work CHRS and the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame are doing for the Bay Area.
Fingers crossed. No promises. You guys are reading this before they're hearing it.