FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Tania Panczyk-Collins
202-654-4222
tpanczyk@apts.org
Senate Committee Endorses American Archive Project Supports Funds for the Digital Preservation of Public Media Content WASHINGTON—June 22, 2007—The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday voted to endorse the American Archive, an initiative spearheaded by the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) to digitally preserve public broadcasting’s vast television and radio libraries and make them available to the public.
In a report accompanying the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill for FY 2008, the committee approved the following language:
“The Committee has strongly supported the conversion of public broadcasting stations to digital formats and continues to do so in this act. However, the Committee recognizes that this conversion to digital transmission leaves a great number of stations with limited programming and makes a substantial proportion of the public broadcasting library unusable. The Committee believes that this archive of material is a valuable asset to the public and to historians. Therefore, the Committee intends that CPB may spend a portion of the digital conversion funds to develop a digital public broadcasting archive…”
APTS President and CEO John Lawson said the Senate’s action is a major step forward in public broadcasting’s agenda for the digital era. “For decades, Public Television and Radio stations have documented our nation’s history and culture,” Lawson said. “Federal support will enable us to preserve, digitize and make available for the American public a huge library of priceless video and audio content. The American Archive will be a powerful resource for education and will extend the role of Public Television and Radio stations as cultural heritage institutions.”
The Senate committee action would allow the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB) to shift a portion of the $29.7 million designated for digital infrastructure conversion of stations, mandated by federal law to be completed by February 2009, to the American Archive project.
The House Appropriations Committee has not completed action on its companion appropriations bill.
The American Archive builds upon a pilot project conducted by the Library of Congress, Public Television stations WGBH in Boston, WNET/WLIW in New York and New York University. APTS proposed the creation of the American Archive in February and is working with its station partners, as well as CPB, PBS and NPR.
