In today’s Trib, Eric Zorn chronicles the woes of the Museum of Broadcast Communications:

Delays, disputes and misunderstandings related to funding halted construction in May 2006, when the new building was only 60 percent finished, DuMont said. He figures the current shortfall at a little less than $7 million–not so much, really, for a proven civic attraction with naming rights still available for purchase.

With a little luck–OK, a lot of luck–private and public sources will come through with enough “distress relief” to get this project restarted before the opportunity for a world-class broadcasting museum in Chicago slips away.

One of the biggest problems with the getting the MBC finished is the fact that everyone associates it with just one person — Bruce DuMont. Bruce is a great guy, and his passion to preserve history is admirable. However, at some point, if this project is ever going to get done, he needs to find some other people to share his love. Soliciting donations from broadcasting types will only get you so far, assuming their checks clear in the first place. I’ve always felt that this find of an undertaking was best done with a diverse group of people, who can tap into their own networks of support. Thus far, it seems like the MBC will be under construction for the foreseeable future.