"They want to do what NBC did at 30 Rockefeller Center," a real estate source said.

The music channel is seeking to buy out the leases of several street-level stores under its offices at 1515 Broadway, between 44th and 45th Streets, the sources said.

In the last year, hundreds of teens have begun gathering on Broadway outside the studio hoping to catch a glimpse of musicians who perform live shows every weekday at MTV's mezzanine-level, glass-walled studio.

The new auditorium would be used to keep the teens out of traffic, according to real estate sources.

The lobby space is currently occupied by a Lindy's Delicatessen and a Father and Son shoe store.

"It would be a natural," the real estate source said, "but whether or not they could secure the release of those other tenets who have long term positions, is only a matter of dollars."

An MTV spokeswoman declined to comment on the plans but said: "We are constantly discussing our plans with the city and investigating ways to add to the excitement of our programming."

Since MTV began airing live broadcasts from an $8-million studio in its headquarters, crowds have clogged the area in front of the building.

In late October, when The Backstreet Boys did a live show on MTV, more than 1,000 teenagers mobbed the entire block at Broadway and 44th St.

The network uses TV pictures of the crowds and the neighborhood's billboards as a back drop for its live shows.

Studios that look out onto a famous street in New York City are in high fashion today, due to NBC's success with the fan-friendly set of the "Today" show.

The most recent candidate is ABC, which signed a lease last year for new studio space across from MTV at 1515 Broadway.

-- Don Kaplan - 12/02/98