Access to Television's Past
Columbia Journalism Review
[November/December 1976]
Saldich, Anne Rawley
.
Abstract: Until recently, television executives would not make copies of the news broadcasts available after their airing. It is a subtle form of news censorship. Access to records is the lifeblood of accountability but television news managers think an inquiry into their records is a threat to liberty. Paul Simpson founded the television news archive (T.N.A.) at Vanderbilt University when he learned that television news was not being preserved. He wanted television’s record of the nation’s affairs to become part of the public record. CBS is displeased with T.N.A.’s policies, which give access to video materials without CBS approval. their agreement with T.N.A. is carefully worded so as to give them control. CBS donates color cassettes with an index. NBC allows the taping of their news but doesn’t offer an index. There is no agreement with ABC.
https://librarytechnology.org/document/9767/