Broadcast House, home of radio in South Africa, was designed in 1935 by J.C. Cook & Cowen for I.W. Schlesinger. Born in New York, Schlesinger came to South Africa in 1884 and created vast insurance, catering, entertainment and motion picture industries. In 1927 he rescued the earlier radio stations, ensuring that the Big Bands and the Jazz Age reached most South Africans. In 1936 it became the official public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The low relief panels are by Rene Shapshak.