THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Dear fellow member of FIAT/IFTA, I know it may sound boring to you, but, I intend to focus on the aims of the association in this "corner". From my own experience I know that this topic is not part of daily conversation while having a cup of coffee. Anyway, let us have a look at the document where we have written the goals of FIAT/IFTA, and let us reflect on what we should be working with in the future. Are we doing what we should be doing, you may ask. Let us see.

Before we do a critical evaluation of the goals and the work done, we must not forget that FIAT/IFTA's members are spread all over the world, traditions differ, the languages differ and the technical development differs from country to country and TV station to TV station. What we have in common is a decision to work together to improve the standard of our work. The keywords and phrases are: Exchange of information, promotion of professional standards and practices for the preservation of moving images and recorded sound, encouraging cooperation between members, arranging meetings and workshops and giving direct assistance to members.

And the list goes on: the organisation of local and regional meetings and conferences, the use of archival material as educational, historical and cultural resources for professional study groups, universities, colleges and library schools, to support research in the field of re-use of material already transmitted to the public, the preservation of the material and to establish relations with national or international organisations competent in the fields related to FIAT/IFTA's activities.

-You sound like a teacher, but what exactly are you trying to say? Are we not doing a good job?

Let us evaluate FIAT/IFTA's activities since the Conference in Paris in September 1996. All four Commissions are hard at work preparing the programme of the next Conference (in Budapest in September this year). The Programming & Production Commission, the Technical Commission and the Documentation Commission have all had meetings (all three in London) and their work is showing results. The Commission heads will present their ideas at the Executive Council meeting in Geneva on 14-15 March, when the Conference programme will be finalised.

The Round Table on Audiovisual Records had a meeting in Paris in late February: FIAT/IFTA met up with IASA, FIAF, ICA and IFLA, with a representative from UNESCO present, to discuss shared interests and how to work towards common goals.

There was a Nordic Seminar in Stockholm in late February, with members from only Scandinavian countries. English and French were forbidden, only the tribal languages of the Scandinavians were allowed (excluding Finnish).

Representatives of television archives in the Balkan countries will meet in Athens on 15-16 May. This has been arranged by FIAT/IFTA, ERT S.A., the Greek department of ICOM and the Greek Film Archive. This will be a local arrangement of great interest. Languages will be Greek, English and French. Local seminars/conferences like these are easier to organise and cheaper for all parties involved than international events.

There is always scope for improvement, but I think that I have shown that FIAT/IFTA is not idle. As any voluntary organisation, we rely on our members for the work that is done. Considering most of our work is done, and has to be done, after we have finished our "paid" work, it is really not bad at all.

We still need more people with ideas and visions, stamina and stubbornness. If you are one of these people, why are you not working with us?

Tedd Johansen
Tedd.Johansen@nrk.no

 

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