What do researchers of broadcast history find valuable?
While each institution will have its own collecting policy, when it comes to broadcast history, items that have archival value will document the operations of broadcast-related organizations, networks, and stations, or the careers of people who have worked in or for the broadcasting industry. These items include:
- Letters, correspondence, memos, office files, photographs, drafts, notes and other original papers, with an emphasis on complete files or collections from media companies and industry notables
- Books, periodicals, annual and other reports, and studies related to the broadcast industry
- Corporate publications, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures, rate cards and other reference material from the broadcast industry
- Programming and advertisements; speeches and interviews; auditions, tests and “demos” recorded in various audio, moving image, photographic and print formats, be they analog or digital
- Program scripts, ad copy, production-related documents and artwork
- Memorabilia and other items of historical interest at the discretion of the curator and collections management staff
These published finding aids, created by archivists as guides to collections, offer examples of the kinds of materials held in broadcast archives and how they can be organized:
Sample finding aids from individuals:
Susan Stamberg papers
Helen Sioussat papers
Sol Taishoff papers
David L. Crippens papers
Sample finding aids from stations and organizations:
Children’s Television Workshop records
WGAZ/WSBT Station records
American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) records
WRKL Station records
Maryland Public Television records
What materials would archival institutions with broadcast collections be unlikely to accept?
The items below may have historic or sentimental value, but if they’re available elsewhere, contain sensitive personal information, or have little value to researchers, then they likely wouldn’t be accepted. For example, while awards such as plaques and trophies have symbolic value, they take up valuable shelf space and don’t convey much historical meaning to a researcher as physical objects.
- Employee records containing sensitive information (SSNs, birthdates, etc.)
- Books from a donor’s personal collection that do not relate directly to broadcasting
- Screening copies in home video or disc formats
- Copies of mainstream Hollywood film releases
- Awards such as plaques and trophies
- Popular magazines or trade publications that are readily available in digital versions online or on microfilm/fiche
- Record or CD collections of popular music
- Blank media (audio cassettes, video cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, etc.)
- Collections consisting solely of government documents
- Collections of unclear provenance
- Materials in poor condition, showing evidence of mold, mildew, pests, significant embrittlement, or otherwise damaged beyond repair
- Materials to which access is restricted in perpetuity or for a period of time deemed by curators to be beyond a reasonable limitation
- Historical compilations or broadcasts that are commercially available
- Artifacts such as TVs, radios, and other broadcasting equipment
- Promotional giveaway items (t-shirts, tote bags, bobbleheads, etc.)
- Materials duplicated at other institutions
- Multiple copies of a single recording
