First Look Inside the Updated and Upgraded VOA Museum

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David, who shares the following news items via WVXU and Spectrum News:


A first look inside the renovated VOA Broadcasting Museum (WVXU)

Visitors to the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township will notice the first improvement immediately after turning into the driveway off Tylersville Road.

New pavement covers the old potholes.

That’s just one of many enhancements at the 1942 VOA building thanks to $500,000 from the state of Ohio. The museum reopens this weekend (Jan. 25-26) after a seven-month renovation with a reconfigured exhibition space, more TV monitors, a revamped Cincinnati broadcasting area, and new lighting, carpeting, drop ceilings, and heating and air conditioning systems.

“It’s now beginning to look like a real museum. This is a major, major, major, major infrastructure improvement,” says Jack Dominic, museum executive director.

“This changes everything. We’ve got heat and air conditioning, and carpeting everywhere. We now have a building that is up to code and able to be a welcoming place for all visitors. We don’t have to apologize any more.” [Continue reading…]

New sounds, exhibits shine at the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting (Spectrum News)

CINCINNATI — These days, it’s easy to take communication technology for granted.

We open our phones and there’s the daily news. We get in our car and we’re connected to any type of programming imaginable, and our devices can bring us just about any livestream from across the world at a moment’s notice.

However, it wasn’t all that long ago that communication was a lot different.

After a six-month closure for renovations, the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting is back open.

“We kind of call it the ‘Cincinnati Wing’ and it’s kind of a history of broadcasting in Cincinnati going all the way back to Powel Crosley,” said the museum’s Executive Director Jack Dominic as he gave a tour. [Continue reading…]

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4 thoughts on “First Look Inside the Updated and Upgraded VOA Museum

  1. Neal Lavon

    So this is really a museum about Cincinnati broadcasting, radios and televisions, and various broadcasters in the region. It looks like it has little to do with VOA save for the building once being owned by the Agency. Perhaps they ought to consider a name change because at first reading, it sounds like a museum about VOA which it isn’t. Perhaps someone can add how much VOA stuff is in there.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Post author

      So I’ve been to this museum and it is very much focused on VOA Bethany history. I believe their latest updates have given them room to showcase much more than just the VOA. The tour is actually of the site itself, its history, and everything from the reporting end to transmitting.

      It’s very much worth a visit if you’re in the area.

      Reply
  2. TheZ

    I toured the site in the late 80’s & the guide wanted to show us how the antenna feed knife switches worked. He accidentally opened a switch fed by a live transmitter and created a nice arc (The switches were about 12 feet overhead). We were able to hear the program from the arc – it acted like a speaker. He was able to close the switch quickly enough to avoid tripping the transmitter off line.

    Reply
  3. Larry Thompson

    I grew up near there as a teenager, when I first got started with shortwave radio. I used to,ride my bicycle by there and was fascinated with the huge antenna farm. Was worried the VOA transmitters would interfere with my reception, but never a problem. In high school, in 1964, my Ham Radio club got a tour of the VOA facilities there. One of our member’s dad worked for the VOA. Very impressive!

    Reply

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