Save Columbia Square!

[gerald159]

The LA Conservancy, to their credit, reports in their latest newsletter that they have joined forces with Hollywood Heritage to fight against the demolition of Columbia Square after KCBS and KCAL leave.

If you want to offer advice, support, war stories, etc. you can reach them at www.laconservancy.org.

And as an aside, it's a very worthwhile organization to consider joining, their walking tours alone are well worth the (tax deductible) investment.

Sorry for all the double posts BTW, I guess some computer somewhere feels my posts are twice as good as mornal.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by gerald on 12/09/05 02:05 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[Rocco]

I really hope they can save it and turn it into something historical. We lost the old NBC Radio studios to a branch of Home Savings a long time ago, and we media types should consider the fact that even though our product may be lost in the ether or flashed before our eyes in a single viewing or hearing, the memory of the event lingers and lives as a part of our cultural fabric. Hollywood has an enormous meaningful history, and right now there isn't a whole lot tangible to show to visitors who would certainly be interested to see where and how events happened and shows were produced, along with their actually being present where that history was made.

 

[collinsradio]

I agree 100 percent. Columbia Square is historic to the
city, to broadcasting, & to the entertainment industry.
I have some photos of NBC's studios in Hollywood, that
facility looks as if it took up a city block. What
else is built over the old NBC studios? What an
impressive plant!

 

[Surfer]

> I agree 100 percent. Columbia Square is historic to the
> city, to broadcasting, & to the entertainment industry.
> I have some photos of NBC's studios in Hollywood, that
> facility looks as if it took up a city block. What
> else is built over the old NBC studios? What an
> impressive plant!
>
Look, I'm all for preserving historical stuff, but let's be realistic. If we did save the building, what would you use it for? Unless radio returns to its glorious roots, you might as well give up because you're just wasting real estate space.

 

[michaelhagerty]

> > I agree 100 percent. Columbia Square is historic to the
> > city, to broadcasting, & to the entertainment industry.
> > I have some photos of NBC's studios in Hollywood, that
> > facility looks as if it took up a city block. What
> > else is built over the old NBC studios? What an
> > impressive plant!
> >
> Look, I'm all for preserving historical stuff, but let's be
> realistic. If we did save the building, what would you use
> it for? Unless radio returns to its glorious roots, you
> might as well give up because you're just wasting real
> estate space.
>

Unless it was used as a museum of Hollywood's broadcasting history (to distinguish it from the broader MTR in Beverly Hills), then Surfer's probably right. Columbia Square has the space to do such a thing, though...with a focus not just on KNX/KCBS, but on all the other stations. Studios (both TV and radio) could be used to re-create studios from different eras at different stations, etcetera.

We've lost Metromedia Square, NBC Hollywood and the KFI studios on Vermont.
KHJ/KRTH on Melrose and KFWB on Yucca aren't the right size and configuration for such a project. The old KMPC (which was also KFWB in the 20s & 30s) is in use as offices for Tribune. Columbia Square would be perfect.


---Michael Hagerty

 

[ibezdechi]

Maybe we should tear down the Lincoln Monument...and Monticello...

How about Hearst Castle in San Simeon...? Maybe it could be torn down so a housing development called "San Simeon Heights" could be built in its place.

I can see you and Judge Souter must be good friends.

> Look, I'm all for preserving historical stuff, but let's be
> realistic. If we did save the building, what would you use
> it for? Unless radio returns to its glorious roots, you
> might as well give up because you're just wasting real
> estate space.
>
ot

 

[Surfer]

> > > I agree 100 percent. Columbia Square is historic to the
> > > city, to broadcasting, & to the entertainment industry.
> > > I have some photos of NBC's studios in Hollywood, that
> > > facility looks as if it took up a city block. What
> > > else is built over the old NBC studios? What an
> > > impressive plant!
> > >
> > Look, I'm all for preserving historical stuff, but let's
> be
> > realistic. If we did save the building, what would you
> use
> > it for? Unless radio returns to its glorious roots, you
> > might as well give up because you're just wasting real
> > estate space.
> >
>
> Unless it was used as a museum of Hollywood's broadcasting
> history (to distinguish it from the broader MTR in Beverly
> Hills), then Surfer's probably right. Columbia Square has
> the space to do such a thing, though...with a focus not just
> on KNX/KCBS, but on all the other stations. Studios (both TV
> and radio) could be used to re-create studios from different
> eras at different stations, etcetera.
>
> We've lost Metromedia Square, NBC Hollywood and the KFI
> studios on Vermont.
> KHJ/KRTH on Melrose and KFWB on Yucca aren't the right size
> and configuration for such a project. The old KMPC (which
> was also KFWB in the 20s & 30s) is in use as offices for
> Tribune. Columbia Square would be perfect.
>
>
> ---Michael Hagerty
>
Now THAT'S a sensible idea! How can I get on board for that project? A museum is the BEST way so save the building and, it can be self-sustaining...in about 5 years or so...more if you sell advertising! I suggest radio.

Seriously, that would be a marvelous use for the building. It would preserve a bit of LA radio history and can also double as a way to save the building.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Micheal Hagerty has a fantastic idea!

A museum of Hollywood Radio and TV Production!

Columbia Square's exterior can be restored to it's original 1938 grandeur (including the circular driveway in front). One of the largest studios there can be restored to a radio studio (with audience area and vintage equipment) circa 1938 (when Columbia Square opened); another large studio with an audience area can be restored to a TV studio circa 1951 (when the pilot for "I Love Lucy", which was made as a kinescope recording and lost for nearly three decades, was produced at Columbia Square).

Other areas in the building can be used to display various kinds of broadcasting equipment from other eras. One possible exhibit might be an area (maybe just after you enter) in which you can see yourself on TV via several TV cameras from different eras. Such an exhibit could start with a black-and-white iconoscope, then go on to an RCA TK-11, then an RCA TK-41, then later color cameras (i.e. Norelco PC-60/70 and then an RCA TK-47), and lastly, an HDTV camera and widescreen HDTV digital monitor.

And some of the office areas can be converted to storage space for various related archives. Some other offices can be rented or loaned to broadcasting historians and other researchers who might be in the area on a short-term basis and who need some office space.

One person living near Los Angeles should be contacted about the idea: veteran TV engineer Chuck Pharis (his website is http://www.pharis-video.com). He has a large collection of vintage television broadcasting equipment. He might be pursuaded to both donate some old equipment in working order to the proposed Columbia Square museum, and perhaps he can also be hired as needed to help maintain that equipment.

I'm on the East Coast, so I can't really give much of my time to this idea, but I hope it can come about.

 

[Doctah]

It's a nice idea but...
Even the massive Museum of TV and Radio has trouble attracting crowds, despite being in a high-traffic part of BevHills. A museum of Hollywood radio and TV production would attract handfuls of radio aficianados, but that's not enough to sustain such a massive building, particularly one in a gentrifying portion of Hollywood. The new owners of Columbia Square didn't buy the building from CBS in order to erect such a narrow, niche business.

No, the best bet is to convince the owners that there's enough interest in a historic building like Columbia Square to adapt and reuse the building as part of a residence/retail combo. Such reuse propositions work -- look at the way the old May Co. and Bullock's Wilshire buildings were adapted on Wilshire. Let's hope the owner can find a way to reuse Columbia Square for whatever plans they have.


> Micheal Hagerty has a fantastic idea!
>
> A museum of Hollywood Radio and TV Production!
>
> Columbia Square's exterior can be restored to it's original
> 1938 grandeur (including the circular driveway in front).
> One of the largest studios there can be restored to a radio
> studio (with audience area and vintage equipment) circa 1938
> (when Columbia Square opened); another large studio with an
> audience area can be restored to a TV studio circa 1951
> (when the pilot for "I Love Lucy", which was made as a
> kinescope recording and lost for nearly three decades, was
> produced at Columbia Square).
>
> Other areas in the building can be used to display various
> kinds of broadcasting equipment from other eras. One
> possible exhibit might be an area (maybe just after you
> enter) in which you can see yourself on TV via several TV
> cameras from different eras. Such an exhibit could start
> with a black-and-white iconoscope, then go on to an RCA
> TK-11, then an RCA TK-41, then later color cameras (i.e.
> Norelco PC-60/70 and then an RCA TK-47), and lastly, an HDTV
> camera and widescreen HDTV digital monitor.
>
> And some of the office areas can be converted to storage
> space for various related archives. Some other offices can
> be rented or loaned to broadcasting historians and other
> researchers who might be in the area on a short-term basis
> and who need some office space.
>
> One person living near Los Angeles should be contacted about
> the idea: veteran TV engineer Chuck Pharis (his website is
> http://www.pharis-video.com). He has a large collection of
> vintage television broadcasting equipment. He might be
> pursuaded to both donate some old equipment in working order
> to the proposed Columbia Square museum, and perhaps he can
> also be hired as needed to help maintain that equipment.
>
> I'm on the East Coast, so I can't really give much of my
> time to this idea, but I hope it can come about.
>