WHO IS WHO IN FIAT/IFTA ?

New members of the Executive Council, the Commissions or any other office of FIAT/IFTA will here be presented. That also goes for New members of FIAT/IFTA. Questions are formulated by Katharina Robertsson Reimer, the Administrative Coordinator of FIAT/IFTA.

Vít Charous, head of the Czech Television Archive, Prague. Member of the Programming and Production Commission.

Could you tell us about your background and your career at the Czech Television Archive?
I was born 1954 in Prague in an archive-teacher family and spent a very nice childhood partly in the southern Bohemia countryside. After secondary school and studies of librarian science at the Charles University from which I graduated 1978, I started to work as an archivist in the Archives of the Czechoslovakian TV. I became Head of Archives in 1990.

What are the main interests for your achive in the future?
The Czech TV Archive is responsible for the thorough and uniform documentation of written-, audio- and audiovisual records on all types of media which were produced or otherwise acquired for broadcasting purposes by Czech TV since 1953. The most important part of our stock consists of audio-visual recordings of which about 180 000 are deposited on 16 and 35 mm film, and 1 inch, analog and digital beta, u-matic, D3 - VTR. This year we will finish the transfer of 2 inches tapes on digital beta. I think the most important for successful archive work is close contact and cooperation between production and archive, full support of tv- and computer technology and optimal reusing of archive material. Reusing edited new programmes, broadcasting using archive material is more and more asked for by the audience and it rises up the popularity of the archive work. All these tasks need to be filled by educated, experienced and enthusiastic professionals in the staff.

The digitization is the great task in the close future for the world archives.

Unfortunately there are big differences among the archive conditions for saving humankind memory (political, climatical and personal etc.) Thats why a lot of us do have problems with digitization while the others have not got the basic conditions for storing in their archives. I see the future of audiovisual archives in multimedia catalogues spred by Internet all over the world, with protective system of misusing, with channels or nets used for changing the programmes on broadcastable quality. Hand in hand to support these world television archives which arenât on the same level of evolution.

Being a new member of the Programming and Production Commission, which are the specific goals you would like to obtain?
The annual sessions of FIAT/IFTA are very useful and pleasant but I have some remarks: It would be useful for all of us to initiate the others, less known participants to presentate (shortly and briefly) their factual problems and together try to find the way how to help them. For us nonenglish speaking members, a better common understanding would be useful. Maybe the english- and american-speaking people could use not so complicated and strange expressions during their presentations and limit the length of the presentations to three quarters of an hour?

FIAT/IFTA could have some policy for not only recommendation but also to order archive rules, minimally for the EU members. The others would have to approach to that praxis in their own interest.

It would be interesting to organize something like a common fair of nonuseful or needable technical equipment (as gifts or changes). Information about specific needs would be concentrated on one place, for example in a database of the FIAT/IFTA Technical Commission.*

* Editors remark: The FIAT/IFTA website for sales, gifts or other kind of exchanges etc. is: Trading Post

Sue Malden, BBC Member of the Executive Council, newly appointed Chair of the Programming and Production Commission.

Could you tell us about your background and career at the BBC?
I have worked for the BBC Archives for just over 25 years having been recruited by Anne Hanford in 1973. Since then I have worked as a Librarian in Acquisitions Cataloguing and Research, I became the Television Archive Selector in 1978 and was appointed deputy to Anne in 1983. During this period I also took time out to see the "other side" and worked for current affairs production and documentary features.

What are the mainly interests for the future of the archive?
In the wider BBC library grouping of Information and Archives I have had experience leading the marketing of Archives and am currently Corporate Affairs Manager with responsibility for upholding the BBC's professional standards within the wider archive and library world. These are skills which I intend to also put to the benefit of other Television Archivists throughout the world with my participation in the work of FIAT. Broadcasting is an integral part of the lives of people throughout the world - being the major source of information, entertainment and culture. And all this wealth is held in the Archives. FIAT must give support and sustenance to those working in the field.

How did you first get in contact with FIAT/IFTA?
I have been a member of FIAT since December 1994, when I leapt straight in to join the relatively new Programming and Production Commission. This was a great honour for me to be invited to participate in the work of such a prestigious group. It was with some trepidation that I made the journey to Brussels for the meeting. I did not know what to expect! However I was soon at my ease, much to my relief English was the common language, which I have now learned to speak slowly and clearly (I hope) - a small gesture given the effort that colleagues from so many different nations make to speak English. At the 1996 conference in Paris I was elected to the Executive Council and am pleased to be able to contribute to the overall promotion of Broadcasting Archives in the widest aspect.

Being the Chair of the P & P Commission, what are your intentions and specific goals?
The commission performs a vital role in the organisation of FIAT producing Guidelines on Selection, Guidelines on reuse of Archives; organising the annual Archive Award selection and presentation ceremony. Our main brief is to identify and develop any means of promoting the value (commercial and cultural) of Archives and to facilitate the greater access and use of the great wealth of information and entertainment that is held by, and cared for by us all. Also as a group we would welcome any suggestions from the membership for ideas to further these objectives. Little did I know back in 1994 that I would eventually become the Chair of the P & P Commission.