Remembering Columbia Square: A July 4th KCRW Special

KCRW will set aside an hour of time on July 4 to honor Columbia Square, the legendary broadcasting facility that went dark this April.

"Remembering Columbia Square: An Homage to a Palace of Broadcasting," will air next Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., as part of KCRW's special Independence Day schedule.

Produced by Gerald Zelinger, the special is based around the inaugural 1938 broadcast, "This is Columbia Square." According to KCRW, "this hour-long documentary includes reminiscences with radio and television personalities as well as writers, producers, directors and technicians who worked at Columbia Square."

Voices featured in the special include Jim Hawthorne, Art Linkletter, Alan Young, Harry Shearer, Jack Benny and George Burns.

According to KCRW, the special "focuses on the 'Golden Days' of radio, when the studios at Sunset and Gower produced such programs as 'The Jack Benny Show,' 'Burns and Allen,' 'The Whistler,' 'Suspense,' 'Lux Radio Theatre,' 'Gunsmoke,' Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy and so many more."

As a big broadcasting geek, I was sad to see CBS officially vacate Columbia Square this spring. The facilities were in bad shape, granted, but a piece of broadcast history was forever silenced when KCBS moved to Studio City this April.

What's more, it's still uncertain what will come of the building. But the plan is to preserve most of it, as I wrote in April:

The departure of KCBS and KCAL reps the end of an era for Columbia Square, which was opened in 1938 to house CBS' Los Angeles flagship radio station, KNX-AM -- as well as CBS' (then still known as the Columbia Broadcasting System) west coast operations.

The building originally included a restaurant and large auditoriums, where radio and music stars such as Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Bing Crosby and Burns & Allen performed.

KCAL joined KCBS at Columbia Square when the two operations merged earlier this decade; KNX moved to new Miracle Mile facilities in 2005, leaving the two TV stations behind.

Now, with KCBS and KCAL departing for Studio City, just one commercial TV station -- KTLA -- remains broadcasting in Hollywood. Just ten years ago, KABC, KCBS, KCAL, KTLA, KTTV and KCOP were all Hollywood-based.

CBS sold Columbia Square, designed by architect William Lescaze, in 2003; developer Molasky Pacific acquired the property for $66 million last August.

Molasky Pacific unveiled plans last month to renovate the Columbia Square building while adding two new high-rise structures that will include office and retail space, live-work lofts, multi-family units and a 125-room hotel.

"Remembering Columbia Square: An Homage to a Palace of Broadcasting," Wed., July 4, 6 p.m. (KCRW 89.9 FM)