One of the lesser-known casualties of the precipitous decline of local journalism is the loss of local TV news archives. As resources have dwindled, few local stations have been able to preserve—much less offer access to—the vulnerable physical assets that comprise their historic news archives. Many collections have already been lost; those that remain are at dire risk. The need to save this material is urgent and immediate. Without action, invaluable cultural and community resources will be gone forever.

 

The Archival Producers Alliance is excited to start work on a comprehensive local television news preservation initiative. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to restore, preserve, and provide access to local television news archives across the United States. With funding from the Ford Foundation the APA is currently engaged in a Needs Assessment to determine the state of local television news archives in one market—the country’s largest: New York City. Co-directors of the Archival Producers Alliance will assess the current status of NYC collections, as well as the receptivity of, and capacity for, station owners to participate in a larger preservation initiative. Out of this Assessment, the Archival Producers Alliance will produce a report and offer a presentation of our findings and recommendations for next steps.