Morgans Hotel Group ( NASDAQ : $ MHG ) was a global, publicly-traded hospitality company founded by Ian Schrager and specialized in the boutique hotel category. Its foundations were laid in 1984 with the opening of the namesake Morgans Hotel in New York City. MHG was listed on the NASDAQ exchange for over a decade.
127-399: In 1984, Studio 54 co-founders and business partners Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell opened their first hotel, Morgans Hotel, named after J. P. Morgan 's Morgan Library & Museum next-door. Designed by Andrée Putman , the instant hit introduced the boutique hotel category, becoming a "worldwide phenomenon." It is characterized by its triple-arched entrances that remain today. Following
254-546: A Valentine's Day party in 1979 imported 3,000 Dutch tulips, transported 4,000 square yards (3,300 m ) of sod from Bermuda, and rented eight antique sculptures that each cost $ 17,000. Other events at the club included fundraisers for local politicians, as well as a Halloween party hosted by the staff of People magazine. Studio 54 was also a filming location for several music videos, such as those for several songs in Musique 's album Keep On Jumpin' . Schrager did not have
381-424: A cable converter box with decoding equipment in homes , the latter also enables subscription -based channels, pay-tv and pay-per-view services. In his essay, John Durham Peters wrote that communication is a tool used for dissemination. Peters stated, " Dissemination is a lens—sometimes a usefully distorting one—that helps us tackle basic issues such as interaction, presence, and space and time ... on
508-482: A dish antenna . The term broadcast television can refer to the television programs of such networks. The sequencing of content in a broadcast is called a schedule . As with all technological endeavors, a number of technical terms and slang have developed. A list of these terms can be found at List of broadcasting terms . Television and radio programs are distributed through radio broadcasting or cable , often both simultaneously. By coding signals and having
635-508: A 250-seat side room next to the auditorium. CAT Entertainment acquired Scher's interest in the Ritz in December 1992, and CAT was itself acquired by Cabaret Royale Corporation the next year. In July 1993, the Ritz announced it would close down and reopen as a topless bar . CAT Entertainment spent $ 3 million renovating the theater, including the stage area. CAT also resurrected both the nightclub and
762-550: A Board Member at IPO. Morgans Hotel Group was a publicly traded company on NASDAQ for over a decade. 2014 saw the end of a legal proxy war for MHG control between two billionaire interests: The two parties agreed to jointly seek a buyer, after all lingering legal proceedings with Burkle were settled. However, it had no permanent CEO to lead the company until 2016. After years-long battle and board-rejected offers to buy MHG, Burkle partnered with Sam Nazarian 's SBE Entertainment Group , who agreed to acquire MHG for $ 805 million, in
889-450: A backlit moon and spoon, which became an icon of the Studio 54 nightclub. The club's promoters mailed out 8,000 invitations and made phone calls to numerous figures on "a good social list". Studio 54 officially opened on April 26, 1977, with workers rushing to finish the decorations just hours before the grand opening. Although the space could fit 2,500 guests, four thousand people attended
1016-472: A business card; the networking events quickly became popular, often attracting 1,500 guests. For other events, Studio 54 implemented an invitation system, which enabled its operators to restrict some events to select guests without turning them away at the door. The club's mailing list had 200,000 names by 1984. Frank Cashman acquired the $ 3 million lien on the club in late 1984. The same year, Studio 54 also hosted special musical performances, starting with
1143-666: A corporation to operate the nightclub, but they struggled to obtain a liquor license from the New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA). They hired Carmen D'Alessio , who had hosted monthly parties at Maurice Brahms 's Infinity nightclub, as the club's publicist. To finance the nightclub, the operators of the Marlborough Gallery bought nearly all of the stock in Harden and Polany's corporation in November 1976. At
1270-411: A dozen 16-foot-high (4.9 m) poles with flashing lights. Fisher and Marantz adapted the existing rigging system to generate special effects such as confetti, snow, fog, and weather. On the ceiling was a 30-by-40-foot (9.1 by 12.2 m) cyclorama , which could project images of many different galaxies. Other decorations included depictions of volcanos, sunrises, and sunsets. Aero Graphics designed
1397-582: A half years in prison in January 1980. The two men attended a final party on the night of February 2–3, 1980, with Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli singing for numerous guests. Rubell and Schrager began serving their sentences two days afterward. Ultimately, Rubell and Schrager were paroled after a year, and Schrager received a presidential pardon decades later. The NYSLA unanimously voted not to renew Studio 54's liquor license on February 28, 1980, citing Rubell's and Schrager's criminal convictions, although
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#17328515983861524-705: A liquor license from the NYSLA, which agreed to grant the license on the condition that Rubell and Schrager not be involved in any way. Fleischman also repainted the interior and removed the original club's light fixtures, and he paid the New York state government $ 250,000 in back taxes . Studio 54 officially reopened to the public on September 15, 1981. Fleischman and his partner Jeffrey London mailed out 12,000 invitations for Studio 54's reopening, which were delivered on 25-watt silver lightbulbs. Jim Fouratt and Rudolf Piper were hired as Studio 54's new managers. Initially,
1651-445: A liquor license when the club opened, despite having applied to the NYSLA for such a license. Instead, the nightclub applied for a "caterers' permit" every day; these permits were intended for weddings or political events, but they technically allowed the venue to serve alcohol. The club also did not have a certificate of occupancy or a public assembly license, prompting tipsters to complain to several federal agencies. On May 21, 1977,
1778-450: A minimum, cost tens of thousands of dollars. The invitations to the parties were extravagant, using such materials as "Cupid's arrows, inflatable hearts, [or] jars of confetti". Among the events at Studio 54 was a New Year's Eve party hosted by event planner Robert Isabell , who dumped four tons of glitter onto the floor, creating a four-inch layer that could be found in attendees' clothing and homes several months later. The organizers of
1905-469: A month in late 1928. In the meantime, the theater also hosted events such as dance performances, a violin recital, and a choir performance. Radiant Productions leased the theater in September 1929, with plans to present a dozen plays for three weeks each. Their first and only production, Ladies Don't Lie , was a critical failure. That October, Radiant transferred its lease to William R. Kane, who staged
2032-461: A one-year lease for the theater, exhibiting television projectors there. RCA subsidiary NBC installed a 9-by-12-foot (2.7 by 3.7 m) television screen by the end of 1940. Early the following year, NBC installed a 15-by-20-foot (4.6 by 6.1 m) projection screen on the stage, spending $ 25,000 to $ 30,000 on the project. The first public exhibition of the theater's screen was in May 1941, when over
2159-412: A rectangular room with leather and wood decorations, as well as a red, purple, and brown color palette. The room contains 140 seats in a cabaret-style arrangement and 16 seats in a bar to the right. Originally, 54 Below presented shows every day of the week, with 4,000 performances in its first five years. In partnership with musician Michael Feinstein , the club was renamed Feinstein's/54 Below in 2015;
2286-403: A regular guest of Studio 54, said the club was "a dictatorship on the door but a democracy on the dance floor". Studio 54 enforced a photography ban to protect guests' privacy, but some images were still published, including a widely circulated image of Canadian first lady Margaret Trudeau without her underwear. Many guests used club drugs , and they often engaged in open sexual activity on
2413-694: A series of concerts by Julie Budd . Meanwhile, the club was gradually losing long-time regulars to competing discotheques, including the Palladium , which Rubell and Schrager had opened after being released from prison. The club also faced several lawsuits from disgruntled high-profile guests, such as football player Mark Gastineau and a basketball player. Fleischman filed for bankruptcy in November 1985; he had planned to spend $ 250,000 on renovations to attract guests. The club closed in April 1986 because it could not obtain liability insurance, in part because Studio 54
2540-478: A short-lived revival of the comedy A Tailor-Made Man there. At a foreclosure auction in December 1929, the theater's mortgagee Hemphill Realty Corporation bought the theater for $ 1,045,000. Gallo sold his lease to an unidentified buyer in January 1930, as he wanted to focus on operating a radio station. Richard Herndon took over as the theater's managing director, renaming it the New Yorker Theatre
2667-442: A signal that will reach the target audience . Broadcasters typically arrange audiences into entire assemblies. In terms of media broadcasting, a radio show can gather a large number of followers who tune in every day to specifically listen to that specific disc jockey . The disc jockey follows the script for their radio show and just talks into the microphone . They do not expect immediate feedback from any listeners. The message
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#17328515983862794-722: A single station or television station , it is sent through the studio/transmitter link to the transmitter and hence from the television antenna located on the radio masts and towers out to the world. Programming may also come through a communications satellite , played either live or recorded for later transmission. Networks of stations may simulcast the same programming at the same time, originally via microwave link, now usually by satellite. Distribution to stations or networks may also be through physical media, such as magnetic tape , compact disc (CD), DVD , and sometimes other formats. Usually these are included in another broadcast, such as when electronic news gathering (ENG) returns
2921-476: A story to the station for inclusion on a news programme . The final leg of broadcast distribution is how the signal gets to the listener or viewer. It may come over the air as with a radio station or television station to an antenna and radio receiver , or may come through cable television or cable radio (or wireless cable ) via the station or directly from a network. The Internet may also bring either internet radio or streaming media television to
3048-675: A take-private transaction completed November 30, 2016. Burkle converted his existing Morgans equity stake into a SBE ownership stake with a board seat. SBE also received investment from Cain International , a global real estate investment company headed by Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein. Nazarian retained majority ownership of SBE, remaining its Founder & CEO, leading day-to-day operations. The merged company owned and/or operated over 20 hotels, including six properties under SBE's flagship SLS brand. In November 2020, all of SBE Entertainment Group's hotel holdings were sold to Accor , after
3175-558: A thousand audience members watched a live broadcast of a boxing match between Billy Soose and Ken Overlin at Madison Square Garden . In September 1941, the Top Dollar Theatre company unsuccessfully tried to lease the venue from the Bowery Savings Bank. The New Yorker Theatre then briefly hosted the children's play The Adventures of Marco Polo at the end of that December. The Columbia Broadcasting System ( CBS ) leased
3302-564: A wireless communication using the then-newly discovered phenomenon of radio waves , showing by 1901 that they could be transmitted across the Atlantic Ocean. This was the start of wireless telegraphy by radio. Audio radio broadcasting began experimentally in the first decade of the 20th century. On 17 December 1902, a transmission from the Marconi station in Glace Bay , Nova Scotia, Canada, became
3429-438: A year at both theaters, and Studio 54 hosted a mixture of musicals and plays. The Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman musical Assassins was Roundabout's first new production at Studio 54, opening in April 2004. A revival of another musical by the same team, Pacific Overtures , opened that December. Following these two productions, Broadway historian Louis Botto wrote that Studio 54 "had finally fully been welcomed into
3556-662: Is also credited with inventing the "urban resort" with his Delano Hotel in Miami and Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, also designed by Starck. These were followed by the Hudson Hotel in New York, where he fully realized his concept "hotel as lifestyle", which he continued to refine, expanding to cities such as San Francisco with the Clift Hotel and London with the St. Martins Lane Hotel and
3683-726: Is broadcast across airwaves throughout the community, but the listeners cannot always respond immediately, especially since many radio shows are recorded prior to the actual air time. Conversely, receivers can select opt-in or opt-out of getting broadcast messages using an Excel file, offering them control over the information they receive Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering , and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology , which deals with radio and television broadcasting. Audio engineering and RF engineering are also essential parts of broadcast engineering, being their own subsets of electrical engineering. Broadcast engineering involves both
3810-604: Is complemented by two sister cabaret venues: Upstairs at 54 on the second floor since 2001, and 54 Below in the basement since 2012. The heyday of the 1970s club features in numerous exhibitions, films, and albums, with memorabilia from the nightclub appearing at auctions. Studio 54 was originally designed by Eugene De Rosa as the Gallo Opera House, which contained 1,400 seats when it opened in 1927. De Rosa's original plans called for lounges, restrooms, and promenades on three stories, as well as an opera museum below
3937-401: Is particularly true of performances of musical artists on radio when they visit for an in-studio concert performance. Similar situations have occurred in television production (" The Cosby Show is recorded in front of a live television studio audience ") and news broadcasting . A broadcast may be distributed through several physical means. If coming directly from the radio studio at
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4064-593: Is referred to as over the air (OTA) or terrestrial broadcasting and in most countries requires a broadcasting license . Transmissions using a wire or cable, like cable television (which also retransmits OTA stations with their consent ), are also considered broadcasts but do not necessarily require a license (though in some countries, a license is required). In the 2000s, transmissions of television and radio programs via streaming digital technology have increasingly been referred to as broadcasting as well. In 1894, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi began developing
4191-476: Is that the public may learn the outcome of an event before the recording is broadcast, which may be a spoiler . Prerecording may be used to prevent announcers from deviating from an officially approved script during a live radio broadcast, as occurred with propaganda broadcasts from Germany in the 1940s and with Radio Moscow in the 1980s. Many events are advertised as being live, although they are often recorded live (sometimes called " live -to- tape "). This
4318-505: Is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium , but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves ), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began with AM radio , which came into popular use around 1920 with the spread of vacuum tube radio transmitters and receivers . Before this, most implementations of electronic communication (early radio , telephone , and telegraph ) were one-to-one , with
4445-714: Is usually associated with radio and television , though more recently, both radio and television transmissions have begun to be distributed by cable ( cable television ). The receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively small subset; the point is that anyone with the appropriate receiving technology and equipment (e.g., a radio or television set) can receive the signal. The field of broadcasting includes both government-managed services such as public radio , community radio and public television , and private commercial radio and commercial television . The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, part 97 defines broadcasting as "transmissions intended for reception by
4572-421: Is varied continuously with respect to the information) or digital (information is encoded as a set of discrete values). Historically, there have been several methods used for broadcasting electronic media audio and video to the general public: There are several means of providing financial support for continuous broadcasting: Broadcasters may rely on a combination of these business models . For example, in
4699-612: The Bank of Tokyo had previously granted a mortgage on the theater and the adjacent office building to Pilevsky, which it foreclosed upon in June 1994. Later that month, the theater and building were auctioned off. CBS, the Manhattan Theatre Club , and Viacom were among those that showed interest in acquiring the theater and building. Allied Partners, run by the Hadar family, ultimately acquired
4826-613: The Federal Music Project staged productions at the theater for three years starting in 1937. CBS began using the venue as a soundstage in 1942, then as a television studio until 1975. Schrager and Rubell opened the Studio 54 nightclub on April 26, 1977, as disco was gaining popularity in the U.S. Infamous for its celebrity guest lists, quixotic entry policies, extravagant events, rampant drug use , and sexual hedonism, Studio 54 closed in 1980 after Schrager and Rubell were convicted of tax evasion . A scaled-back version of
4953-465: The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) mandated that Rubell and Schrager stop selling memberships and refund existing members. The club failed to refund all memberships immediately, and Schrager claimed that November that only 40 members had applied for refunds. The club generally opened at 10 p.m., with crowds peaking at midnight; the bar closed at 4 a.m., and the rest of
5080-757: The Nipkow disk and thus became known as the mechanical television . It formed the basis of experimental broadcasts done by the British Broadcasting Corporation beginning on 30 September 1929. However, for most of the 20th century, televisions depended on the cathode-ray tube invented by Karl Braun . The first version of such a television to show promise was produced by Philo Farnsworth and demonstrated to his family on 7 September 1927. After World War II , interrupted experiments resumed and television became an important home entertainment broadcast medium, using VHF and UHF spectrum. Satellite broadcasting
5207-671: The Sanderson Hotel , all designed by the prolific Starck. In June 2005, Schrager sold most of his stake in Morgans Hotel Group to launch the Ian Schrager Company . Despite stepping down as Chair and CEO, he retained $ 4 million in consultant pay and perks through end of 2007. On Valentine's Day 2006, $ MHG IPO'ed in a $ 360 million-target raise underwritten by Morgan Stanley , with Schrager cashing in his remaining 450,000 shares for another $ 9 million. Lance Armstrong served as
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5334-688: The Todd Haimes Theatre and the Stephen Sondheim Theatre . In July 1998, the collapse of a construction hoist at 4 Times Square blocked access to the Henry Miller Theatre (now Stephen Sondheim Theatre) on 43rd Street , where the nonprofit Roundabout Theatre Company's successful revival of the Broadway musical Cabaret was playing. Roundabout quickly began searching for alternative venues and, in September 1998, decided to move
5461-627: The president of Cyprus was once rejected because the doormen thought he was the president of New York City's Cypress Hills Cemetery . When one of Saudi king Khalid 's sons was rejected, the Saudi embassy to the United States wrote Rubell a letter, asking that Khalid's son not be rejected again. The band Chic wrote a song in 1978, " Le Freak ", after being refused entry to the club on New Year's Eve 1977, despite having been invited by Grace Jones. Even club members were not guaranteed entry. In June 1978,
5588-490: The "No Fuck-ups" (important clients who were admitted instantly). Rubell bragged about the club's exclusivity, saying in a November 1977 interview with New York magazine: "I turned away 1,400 people last Saturday." The club's doormen could be extremely selective, sometimes to the point that "they propelled themselves into a comedy universe" according to Haden-Guest. Rubell once told a "ravishingly beautiful woman" that she could enter for free if she took off all her clothes;
5715-401: The "party favors" that the two men gave to their friends. In exchange, federal prosecutors agreed not to charge the men with obstruction of justice and conspiracy . By then, the club was in danger of losing its liquor license after the owners had pleaded guilty to tax evasion, as the NYSLA did not give liquor licenses to convicted felons. Rubell and Schrager were each sentenced to three and
5842-571: The Bowery Savings Bank leased the theater to the Palladium Operating Corporation, which planned to convert it into an "English"-style music hall. The Palladium Music Hall opened the next month; it was to host a new show every two weeks, with two bands performing during dinnertime. The Palladium had trouble paying wages within three weeks of its opening, and it closed permanently at the beginning of February 1936. The Works Progress Administration (WPA)'s Federal Music Project leased
5969-513: The Broadway family nearly 80 years after Fortune Gallo first dreamed of it". Roundabout completed some renovations in 2005, which involved installing raked seating and an exhibit in the promenade. The theater hosted a revival of Tennessee Williams 's A Streetcar Named Desire in April 2005. For the 2005–2006 season, Studio 54 staged Eugene O'Neill 's A Touch of the Poet and Bertolt Brecht 's The Threepenny Opera . The theater then hosted
6096-447: The CBS shows that involved panel discussions . Members of the public could also buy tickets to view these tapings. The New York Times said in 1965 that many of the regular audience members were older women. The soap opera Love of Life was produced at Studio 52 until 1975 and was the last show to be taped there. CBS moved most of its broadcast operations out of Studio 52 in 1976 and placed
6223-545: The DCA and $ 17.7 million came from tax-exempt bonds. Allied continued to own the office space above the theater. Roundabout planned to use Studio 54 to host larger productions that could not be staged at the American Airlines Theatre. Haimes also wanted to renovate the theater, including expanding the orchestra pit and replacing the rigging system. After Cabaret closed in January 2004, Roundabout staged several shows
6350-632: The Great Depression. Among the theater's productions in 1931 were the plays Gray Shadow , Young Sinners , Ebb Tide , and It Never Rains ; the musical Fast and Furious ; and performances by the New Yorker Grand Opera Company. The next year, the theater hosted several plays performed by the Spanish-speaking theatrical company La Compania Dramatic Espanola, as well as another dance festival. The Bowery Savings Bank bought
6477-509: The Hadar family, which would allow the theatre company to own a Broadway theater for the first time. Early the next year, the Hadar family agreed to sell the theater for around $ 25 million. To fund the purchase, Roundabout would receive up to $ 32 million in tax-exempt bonds and $ 9 million from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). Roundabout finalized its purchase in July 2003, paying $ 22.5 million, of which $ 6.75 million came from
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#17328515983866604-464: The NYSLA raided the nightclub for selling liquor without a license. The club reopened the next night, serving fruit juice and soda instead of liquor. Studio 54 continued serving non-alcoholic drinks exclusively until a justice for the New York Supreme Court , the state's trial-level court, ordered the NYSLA to grant Studio 54 a liquor license that October. The NYSLA's chairman complied with
6731-561: The NYSLA's revocation of the club's liquor license. The authority would not issue a liquor license as long as the club was involved in active litigation. Mike Stone Productions leased the club from Rubell and Schrager in early 1981, and the club started hosting private events again, albeit without alcoholic drinks and only on Friday and Saturday nights. Rubell's company sold the building to Philip Pilevsky for $ 1.15 million in cash in August 1981, leasing back space from Pilevsky. Fleischman applied for
6858-554: The New York City Subway system. The studio was one of seven that CBS operated in New York City. At that time, several Broadway theaters had been converted to TV studios due to a lack of studio space in the city. Likely the first television show to be produced at Studio 52, was The 54th Street Revue , which premiered in May 1949. Another early show produced at Studio 52 was The Fred Waring Show in 1950. Studio 52 and
6985-410: The New Yorker Theatre in August 1942 for use as a radio soundstage. The theater operated as a radio and television studio for three decades, known as Radio Playhouse No. 4 or Theater No. 4. , then converted for television in 1949, becoming CBS-TV Studio 52. Shielded television cameras had to be developed due to strong magnetic interference from equipment at a neighboring power substation for
7112-488: The New Yorker and the adjacent office building for $ 650,000 in December 1932. The bank leased the theater to Continental Music Halls Inc. for five years in September 1933. Continental announced plans to convert the theater into a nightclub called Casino de Paree (sometimes spelled Casino de Paris ), with dining areas on two stories and a kitchen in the basement. The club's operators spent $ 200,000 on renovations, reopening
7239-466: The Studio 54 trademark, which had never been properly registered by any of the prior owners or operators. John Neilson took over the venue with plans to reopen it as an uptown location of the Stringfellows nightclub. The remodeled nightclub opened in January 1994 and was operated as "Cabaret Royale at Studio 54". Most of the old theater's architectural detail had been covered up by then. Meanwhile,
7366-528: The Supreme Court ruling but objected to it, claiming that the judge had been influenced by Studio 54's upscale clientele. The New York Court of Appeals upheld the Supreme Court's decision in June 1978. Schrager also applied for a cabaret license from the DCA, which did not grant Studio 54 a permanent cabaret license for more than a year. A contributing factor was that the city government only employed three cabaret inspectors, who could not validate all of
7493-625: The United States, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS, television) supplement public membership subscriptions and grants with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is allocated bi-annually by Congress. US public broadcasting corporate and charitable grants are generally given in consideration of underwriting spots which differ from commercial advertisements in that they are governed by specific FCC restrictions, which prohibit
7620-421: The advocacy of a product or a "call to action". The first regular television broadcasts started in 1937. Broadcasts can be classified as recorded or live . The former allows correcting errors, and removing superfluous or undesired material, rearranging it, applying slow-motion and repetitions, and other techniques to enhance the program. However, some live events like sports television can include some of
7747-405: The agenda of any future communication theory in general". Dissemination focuses on the message being relayed from one main source to one large audience without the exchange of dialogue in between. It is possible for the message to be changed or corrupted by government officials once the main source releases it. There is no way to predetermine how the larger population or audience will absorb
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#17328515983867874-521: The aspects including slow-motion clips of important goals/hits, etc., in between the live television telecast. American radio-network broadcasters habitually forbade prerecorded broadcasts in the 1930s and 1940s, requiring radio programs played for the Eastern and Central time zones to be repeated three hours later for the Pacific time zone (See: Effects of time on North American broadcasting ). This restriction
8001-439: The central high-powered broadcast tower transmits a high-frequency electromagnetic wave to numerous receivers. The high-frequency wave sent by the tower is modulated with a signal containing visual or audio information. The receiver is then tuned so as to pick up the high-frequency wave and a demodulator is used to retrieve the signal containing the visual or audio information. The broadcast signal can be either analog (signal
8128-709: The city's cabaret licenses in a timely manner. Additionally, the DCA rarely fined unlicensed cabarets more than $ 25. At the beginning of June 1978, DCA officials said the cabaret application had not been approved because of multiple violations of fire codes, though the New York City Fire Department refused to provide further details about these violations. The DCA could also deny a permanent license because of unresolved consumer complaints, such as those concerning Studio 54's annual memberships. The DCA refused to renew Studio 54's temporary cabaret license in August 1978 because Schrager and Rubell had not refunded all of
8255-406: The club admitted guests as young as 13 and had falsely advertised itself as selling alcoholic beverages. Studio 54 was dilapidated by the late 1980s; the walls had peeling paint, while the auditorium's dome had been concealed by a dropped ceiling . Neil Cohen and John Scher, owners of the Ritz nightclub, leased the space from Philip Pilevsky for 25 years in 1989. They spent $ 2 million to restore
8382-513: The club for nine days, spending $ 500,000 on renovations. The work included adding spotlights and mirrored walls, as well as a movable bridge. To be admitted to Studio 54 was a status symbol, even on nights when the club was open to the public. When Studio 54 opened, admission generally cost $ 7 or $ 8, but guests could pay for an annual membership in exchange for discounted tickets. Tickets were more expensive on weekends, and all ticket prices were increased on nights with performances. Rubell made
8509-484: The club had engaged in "unfair labor practices". In December 1978, a tipster called the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), alleging that Rubell and Schrager were skimming profits. The tip came from a disgruntled ex-employee, who also alleged that cocaine was illegally being stored in the basement. Shortly after, IRS agents raided Studio 54 and arrested Rubell and Schrager. The club continued to operate
8636-436: The club hosted "Modern Classix nights" during Wednesdays and Sundays, while it hosted disco music for the remainder of the week. There was also a 32-track recording studio in the basement, which was used for recording promotional videos and rock concerts. Notable figures associated with the second iteration of Studio 54 included doorman Haoui Montaug , as well as Paul Heyman , who was a photographer, producer, and promoter at
8763-405: The club on opening day. Hundreds of prospective patrons lined up around the block to enter, and several celebrities could not get in, despite having been invited. Studio 54 had been launched as the disco dancing and music trend was gaining popularity in the U.S. Its popularity grew rapidly, especially after the publication of a widely-circulated picture that showed actress Bianca Jagger at
8890-486: The club reverted to the name 54 Below when the partnership ended in July 2022. Josh Hadar of Allied Partners created a 175-seat cabaret space on the second floor, called Upstairs at Studio 54. The space opened in February 2001 and is accessed via its own entrance at ground level. This space was used exclusively for special events. Performances occurred during nights when plays were not being staged. The musical Newsical
9017-402: The club stayed open until 6 a.m. According to Rubell, the vast majority of the club's guests were not celebrities but, rather, members of the public who just wanted to dance. The Washington Post wrote in November 1977 that the club attracted "a mix of punks, hairdressers, socialites, and suburbanites", while The New York Times said the club was "tolerant of errant squares". Andy Warhol ,
9144-489: The club was allowed to continue operating. The club lost its liquor license on February 29, and the club started serving fruit punch the next day. Studio 54's lawyers also announced that they would create a board of directors to operate the club. The third co-owner, Jack Dushey, had received a $ 10,000 fine and had been sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation after being convicted of conspiracy charges in March 1980. By
9271-457: The club's balcony and in private basement rooms. The Journal characterized most of the women guests as "beneficiaries of a fabulously lucky genetic selection" and that the men guests generally had an "aura of self-esteem born in the knowledge that one can successfully choose among the select". Celebrity appearances, which were almost guaranteed, were frequently showcased in New York City's daily newspapers and in gossip columns . The nightclub
9398-412: The club's basement. In anticipation of increasing interest in rock music, Rubell and Schrager spent $ 1.2 million to renovate Studio 54 in late 1979. They installed a grand chandelier and a fly system above the stage, as well as removing seats from the balcony. Rubell and Schrager ultimately pleaded guilty to tax evasion in November 1979, after New York magazine published a cover story describing
9525-495: The club, riding a white horse. In the month after its opening, the club served an average of 2,000 guests per night, although it was only open on Tuesdays through Saturdays. By August 1977, the club had become so successful that Rubell and Schrager were considering opening similar nightclubs in Los Angeles and London . Rubell ultimately chose not to open similar clubs around the world, saying: "I'm very cautious about protecting
9652-519: The club. A notable guest during this time was Drew Barrymore , who was nine years old when her mother took her to Studio 54. Within three months of the club's reopening, Fleischman had ousted Fouratt and Piper, who opened the Danceteria nightclub. In 1982, social activist Jerry Rubin started hosting "Business Networking Salons", a networking event for businesspeople, at the club on Wednesday nights. Prospective guests would only be admitted if they had
9779-412: The dance floor and rigging system. Rubell and Schrager retained D'Alessio to promote Studio 54. The renovation involved the construction of a dance floor, a balcony, and a disco booth, as well as the addition of mirrors, light bars, and floating vinyl platforms. The orchestra seated 250 people, and the balcony had another 500 seats. The lighting system, which required three people to operate, included
9906-559: The development of radio for the wartime purposes of aircraft and land communication, radio navigation, and radar. Development of stereo FM broadcasting of radio began in the 1930s in the United States and the 1970s in the United Kingdom, displacing AM as the dominant commercial standard. On 25 March 1925, John Logie Baird demonstrated the transmission of moving pictures at the London department store Selfridges . Baird's device relied upon
10033-436: The end of that month, Rubell was considering selling the club, despite having promised just two months prior that he would never sell Studio 54. Among those who expressed interest in the club were restaurateur Mark Fleischman , television host Dick Clark , and record executive Neil Bogart . The club closed down at the end of that March, as the revocation of the liquor license had caused a sharp decrease in business. Early
10160-428: The final decisions over whether guests were allowed in the club. Celebrities usually were allowed to enter immediately. According to a 1977 Wall Street Journal article, "very beautiful" members of the public were almost always admitted, while men entering alone were invariably rejected to prevent predatory behavior. Guests were divided into four categories, ranging from the "No Goods" (who could never be admitted) to
10287-494: The former nightclub into a 950-seat theater, buying old seats from the Imperial Theatre and installing them in the mezzanine. Cabaret moved to Studio 54 in November 1998, doubling the production's capacity. Richard Hadar announced in early 1999 that he would operate a nightclub within the theater, which would still host performances of Cabaret during the day. By 2001, Roundabout was negotiating to buy Studio 54 from
10414-516: The gastronomic, bibulous, and entertainment needs of any mortal". The club's operators bought the theater and adjacent office building in March 1934. The club's cheap revues competed with Broadway musicals with higher-priced tickets. Rose withdrew from the venture in September 1934 because of disagreements over pay. The Casino de Paree was closed for renovations in February 1935, reopening two weeks later. The Casino de Paree abruptly closed after filing for bankruptcy in April 1935. That December,
10541-423: The general public, either direct or relayed". Private or two-way telecommunications transmissions do not qualify under this definition. For example, amateur ("ham") and citizens band (CB) radio operators are not allowed to broadcast. As defined, transmitting and broadcasting are not the same. Transmission of radio and television programs from a radio or television station to home receivers by radio waves
10668-412: The general public: The world's technological capacity to receive information through one-way broadcast networks more than quadrupled during the two decades from 1986 to 2007, from 432 exabytes of (optimally compressed) information, to 1.9 zettabytes . This is the information equivalent of 55 newspapers per person per day in 1986, and 175 newspapers per person per day by 2007. In a broadcast system,
10795-448: The instantaneous signal voltage varies continuously with the pressure of the sound waves . In contrast, a digital signal represents the original time-varying quantity as a sampled sequence of quantized values which imposes some bandwidth and dynamic range constraints on the representation. In general usage, broadcasting most frequently refers to the transmission of information and entertainment programming from various sources to
10922-570: The latter already acquired a 50% stake in 2018. The majority of former MHG hotels is now being operated by Accor's lifestyle subsidiary Ennismore. A few of the former hotels however, including the Morgans Hotel itself, are now closed. As an independent company before M&A , MHG owned and managed 17 hotels in Doha , Istanbul , London , Los Angeles , Las Vegas , Miami Beach , New York and San Francisco comprising over 3,000 rooms. Each of its hotels
11049-512: The memberships. Also in August 1978, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) sued Rubell and Schrager, alleging that the co-owners had failed to pay licensing fees for six performances that ASCAP had staged at Studio 54 earlier that year. Studio 54 ultimately paid ASCAP for a license in November 1978. The National Labor Relations Board was also investigating the club by February 1979 after some workers alleged that
11176-455: The message intended for a single recipient. The term broadcasting evolved from its use as the agricultural method of sowing seeds in a field by casting them broadly about. It was later adopted for describing the widespread distribution of information by printed materials or by telegraph. Examples applying it to "one-to-many" radio transmissions of an individual station to multiple listeners appeared as early as 1898. Over-the-air broadcasting
11303-405: The message. They can choose to listen, analyze, or ignore it. Dissemination in communication is widely used in the world of broadcasting. Broadcasting focuses on getting a message out and it is up to the general public to do what they wish with it. Peters also states that broadcasting is used to address an open-ended destination. There are many forms of broadcasting, but they all aim to distribute
11430-502: The name and not cheapening it." In November 1977, Dan Dorfman of New York magazine quoted Rubell as saying that "only the Mafia made more money" than Studio 54, which made $ 7 million in its first year. Upon Studio 54's first anniversary in April 1978, which attracted 3,000 guests, Rubell said the club's popularity contradicted sentiments that the club "wouldn't last more than a couple of months". That October, Rubell and Schrager closed
11557-693: The neighboring Studio 50 (now the Ed Sullivan Theater ) were among CBS's busiest stages by the early 1960s. The theater hosted such shows as What's My Line? , The $ 64,000 Question , Video Village , Password , To Tell the Truth , Beat the Clock , The Jack Benny Show , I've Got a Secret , Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour , and Captain Kangaroo . Studio 52 was used to tape many of
11684-514: The new theater. The opera house opened on November 8, 1927, with the San Carlo Company's large-scale production of La bohème . The Gallo was one of three legitimate theaters to open in New York City during 1927; at the time, the city had over 200 legitimate theaters. The San Carlo Company performed for two weeks. A revival of the play Electra opened at the Gallo that December, followed
11811-400: The next month, Fleischman agreed to buy an option that would allow him to purchase the club for $ 5 million. Mark Fleischman announced his plan to take over Studio 54, seeking to host live shows there and obtain a liquor license from the NYSLA. Studio 54 remained shuttered through the rest of the year, in large part because Rubell and Schrager continued to file legal objections against
11938-455: The next month. The first production at the renamed theater was the Henrik Ibsen play The Vikings , which had a short run in May 1930. The New Yorker hosted more dance recitals before the opening of its next legitimate show, Electra , in December 1930. Oliver D. Bailey signed a five-year lease for the theater in January 1931. In general, the theater suffered from low attendance during
12065-472: The night of the raid. A federal grand jury indicted Rubell and Schrager on charges of tax evasion in June 1979, observing that the two men had skimmed $ 2.5 million, or as much as 60 percent of Studio 54's receipts over the past two years. In an unsuccessful attempt to lessen the charges against the club's co-owners, Schrager's lawyer Mitchell Rogovin alleged that Hamilton Jordan , chief of staff to U.S. president Jimmy Carter , had used cocaine in
12192-463: The nightclub continued under new management before becoming the Ritz rock club in 1989, then the Cabaret Royale bar in 1994. The Roundabout Theatre Company renovated the space in 1998 to relocate its production of the musical Cabaret , which ran at Studio 54 until 2004. The modern theater has since hosted multiple productions each season. The main auditorium, with 1,006 seats on two levels,
12319-528: The orchestra and 487 in the balcony. The theater contained nightclub tables during the late 20th century, which were removed in 1998 after Studio 54's re-conversion into a theater and replaced with raked seating. Ida Louise Killam designed the original interior with a gold, blue, and rose palette . One early observer described the theater as having "a Roxy foyer and a Paramount promenade". The orchestra seats were originally divided by five aisles. The orchestra-level walls were clad with walnut , and
12446-399: The orchestra and balcony had "excellent sound and sightlines". The Ritz was primarily a rock club, but it also hosted performances of pop music and salsa music. The Ritz was one of the most active nightclubs in the United States, with about 150 shows annually, until its promoters started booking fewer shows in mid-1991. Despite declining profits in 1992, the club's owners were planning to add
12573-551: The plays The Apple Tree and 110 in the Shade in the 2006–2007 season; The Ritz and Sunday in the Park with George in the 2007–2008 season; and Pal Joey and Waiting for Godot in the 2008–2009 season. For the 2009–2010 season, the theater presented Carrie Fisher 's solo performance Wishful Drinking , as well as and James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's revue Sondheim on Sondheim . Broadcasting Broadcasting
12700-483: The primary floors. By 1933, when it was being used as the Casino de Paree nightclub, the theater had 650 seats on the orchestra level and 500 seats in the balcony. CBS documents show that, when the theater was used as CBS Studio 52 in the mid-20th century, it had 828 seats on three levels: 312 in the orchestra, 371 in the balcony, and 145 in a mezzanine . The modern-day theater has 1,006 seats across two levels: 519 in
12827-413: The production moved to the 44th Street Theatre . The play Medicine Show then premiered at the New Yorker in April 1940, closing after a month. This was the theater's last Broadway show for nearly six decades. The Bowery Savings Bank again owned the New Yorker Theatre by late 1940, and the bank's real-estate agent Joseph O'Gara was looking to lease the venue. That October, RCA Manufacturing signed
12954-490: The production to Studio 54. The old nightclub required extensive renovations and was not air-conditioned, but Roundabout's artistic director Todd Haimes considered it the "only viable option" for the theatre company. Cabaret 's producer Sam Mendes had considered Studio 54's dilapidated condition to be an ideal setting for the production, just as the Henry Miller had been. Roundabout spent over $ 1 million converting
13081-448: The properties for $ 5.5 million. Allied then renovated the office building. Cabaret Royale closed in January 1995, and Allied announced plans to convert the space into a virtual reality gaming venue at a cost of $ 10 million. In anticipation of Studio 54's conversion, the nightclub hosted a final party on May 23, 1996, featuring disco star Gloria Gaynor and performers such as Crystal Waters and RuPaul . The virtual-reality complex
13208-423: The recipient, especially with multicasting allowing the signal and bandwidth to be shared. The term broadcast network is often used to distinguish networks that broadcast over-the-air television signals that can be received using a tuner inside a television set with a television antenna from so-called networks that are broadcast only via cable television ( cablecast ) or satellite television that uses
13335-592: The same month by Juno and the Paycock . A $ 660,000 mortgage was placed on the theater building in January 1928. The American Opera Company opened its season there the same month, performing there until March. Ballet Moderne also performed there for two weeks in April 1928. Philip Goodman leased the theater for five years in mid-1928. Goodman used the theater to stage a production of Laurence Stallings and Oscar Hammerstein II 's musical Rainbow , which ran for less than
13462-406: The success of Morgans Hotel, they opened the well-received Royalton Hotel and Paramount Hotel , both designed by Philippe Starck . With these properties, Schrager introduced "lobby socializing" where the hotel lobby became a new kind of gathering place for hotel guests and New York City residents alike, and "cheap chic" was affordable luxury offered in a stylish, sophisticated environment. Schrager
13589-509: The theater building's roof. The modern mezzanine-level promenade has an exhibit with information on the theater's current production. The theater also contains a bar in its lobby, which is a tribute to the former Studio 54 nightclub. The cabaret club 54 Below opened in Studio 54's basement on June 5, 2012. It was designed by architect Richard H. Lewis, set designer John Lee Beatty , lighting designer Ken Billington , and sound designer Peter Hylenski . A staircase from ground level leads to
13716-457: The theater during the autumn, renting it out for legitimate shows at other times. The venue was originally supposed to open in January 1927, but this was delayed because the opera company had an extended engagement in San Francisco. Prior to the venue's opening, Gallo transferred his interest in the San Carlo Company to his nephew Aurelio Gallo, allowing the elder Gallo to focus on operating
13843-763: The theater into a nightclub called Studio 54. It would be one of several discotheques to operate in Midtown Manhattan during the late 1970s. Rubell and Schrager formed the Broadway Catering Corp., which spent $ 400,000 to transform the theater into a nightclub. Rubell, Schrager, and Jack Dushey each owned a one-third stake in the venture, and they had hired several people to create the club by early 1977. These included architect Scott Bromley, interior designer Ron Doud, lighting designer Brian Thompson, and set designer Richie Williamson. Lighting designers Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz were hired to design
13970-423: The theater up for sale. By 1976, German-born male model Uva Harden was planning to open a nightclub in New York City, which he tentatively called "Studio". Harden and Israeli entrepreneur Yoram Polany agreed to take over the old CBS Studio 52 that year. Polany and another friend of Harden's independently recommended that the nightclub be called "Studio 54" because it was on 54th Street. Harden and Polany formed
14097-479: The theater, adding fixed seating at orchestra level and installing production equipment above the stage. Cohen and Scher anticipated that the club could fit 3,000 people, including standees, although the theater only had about 1,800 seats. The Ritz relocated from the East Village to Studio 54 on April 5, 1989. According to The New York Times , the new Ritz was more popular than the old location because both
14224-522: The theater, as well as four of the office floors, in November 1936; the venue would host operas and concerts by the WPA's Theatre of Music. The WPA renovated the theater over the next two months, opening the Theater of Music on January 24, 1937. The WPA renewed its lease later the same year. An all-black WPA cast from Chicago presented The Swing Mikado at the New Yorker Theatre in early 1939; after two months,
14351-531: The time, the gallery's owner Frank Lloyd had just been ordered to pay $ 9 million to artist Mark Rothko 's estate in the Rothko case . After continued delays, Harden met with entrepreneurs Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager , who agreed to partner with him in the nightclub's operation. Harden was eventually forced out of the club's operation, while Polany left on his own volition. In November 1976, Billboard magazine reported that Schrager and Rubell planned to convert
14478-404: The trimmings at balcony level and in the mezzanine lounge were also made of walnut. The vaulted ceiling contained a dome measuring 50 feet (15 m) across, as well as indirect lighting. This dome is decorated with medallions. According to CBS documents, Studio 54's proscenium arch measures 27 feet 0 inches (8.23 m) high and 43 feet 8 inches (13.31 m) wide. There
14605-491: The venue in 1977. Roundabout Theatre Company renovated the space into a Broadway house in 1998. The producer Fortune Gallo announced plans for an opera house in 1926, hiring Eugene De Rosa as the architect. The Gallo Opera House opened November 8, 1927, but soon went bankrupt and was renamed the New Yorker Theatre. The space also operated as the Casino de Paree nightclub, then the Palladium Music Hall, before
14732-431: The venue on December 12, 1933. It was one of three theaters near 54th Street that were converted to nightclubs in the mid-1930s. There were 1,150 seats on two levels. The stage was used as a dance floor, accessed by steps from the orchestra level, and was flanked by two bands. Billy Rose organized two shows a night, for which guests paid $ 1.50 to $ 2 per ticket. According to Variety , the nightclub "just about satisfies
14859-503: The woman was later hospitalized for frostbitten nipples. The selective admissions policies led some guests to bypass the front door in an attempt to enter. According to Haden-Guest, one potential guest got stuck in a ventilation shaft and died, an account that Schrager later confirmed. Some of Studio 54's spurned clientele fled to other clubs such as New York, New York. When the club was renovated in 1978, Rubell and Schrager sealed its courtyard to prevent people from entering there. There
14986-533: The world's first radio message to cross the Atlantic from North America. In 1904, a commercial service was established to transmit nightly news summaries to subscribing ships, which incorporated them into their onboard newspapers. World War I accelerated the development of radio for military communications . After the war, commercial radio AM broadcasting began in the 1920s and became an important mass medium for entertainment and news. World War II again accelerated
15113-471: Was a fly system 58 feet (18 m) above the stage. Backstage were six dressing rooms, as well as a 15-by-40-foot (4.6 by 12.2 m) rehearsal space at stage left. To avoid disrupting the construction of the New York City Subway 's Eighth Avenue Line , structural engineer David M. Oltarsh placed the Gallo Opera House's foundation, orchestra, and balcony within an enclosure that was suspended from
15240-429: Was also a private entrance on 53rd Street , reflecting the "stratification" of the nightclub. On several occasions, would-be guests attacked the doormen after being denied admission, and several guests pulled out guns when they were rejected. The club's security guards often cleared out trash cans within a several-block radius because of high concerns over violence. Some notables were denied admission. For instance,
15367-411: Was also frequented by many gay celebrities, leading Anthony Haden-Guest to write that the club became "one of the single most effective showcases for newly visible gay clout". By 1978, there was a private dance floor behind a movable scrim on the main dance floor, as well as a VIP room in the basement, which could only be accessed by a hidden stairway. The club also hosted private parties that, at
15494-562: Was designed by a world−renowned designer: Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in Midtown Manhattan , New York City. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served as a CBS broadcast studio in the mid-20th century. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the Studio 54 nightclub , retaining much of the former theatrical and broadcasting fixtures, inside
15621-450: Was dropped for special occasions, as in the case of the German dirigible airship Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, New Jersey , in 1937. During World War II , prerecorded broadcasts from war correspondents were allowed on U.S. radio. In addition, American radio programs were recorded for playback by Armed Forces Radio radio stations around the world. A disadvantage of recording first
15748-495: Was initiated in the 1960s and moved into general industry usage in the 1970s, with DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellites) emerging in the 1980s. Originally, all broadcasting was composed of analog signals using analog transmission techniques but in the 2000s, broadcasters switched to digital signals using digital transmission . An analog signal is any continuous signal representing some other quantity, i.e., analogous to another quantity. For example, in an analog audio signal ,
15875-550: Was losing so many of the lawsuits in which it was involved. Subsequently, Shalom Weiss took over Studio 54. The nightclub tended to attract a young and racially mixed clientele who were frequently involved in fights, prompting complaints from local residents. City officials revoked the club's cabaret license for two years in January 1989 after finding that the club's patrons frequently used cocaine illegally. The officials alleged that Studio 54 employees not only encouraged illegal drug use but also used cocaine themselves. In addition,
16002-409: Was never built because of a lack of demand, and the club's space was instead rented out for private events. Allied Partners preferred that the Studio 54 building become "anything but a nightclub". Since 1998, the nonprofit Roundabout Theatre Company has operated Studio 54 as a Broadway theater, branded as Roundabout Theatre at Studio 54 . It is one of Roundabout's three Broadway theaters, alongside
16129-496: Was staged there from October 2004 to April 2005. In July 1926, theatrical impresario Fortune Gallo leased a site at 254 West 54th Street and hired Eugene De Rosa to design a 16-story office building at the site, with a 1,400-seat theater at its base. Z. D. Berry and Robert Podgur would build the venue at an estimated cost of $ 2 million. Gallo planned to present the San Carlo Grand Opera Company's productions at
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