UNESCO NEWS: MEETING WITH MANUFACTURERS OF MAGNETIC AND OPTICAL MEDIA

On 14 June 2002, UNESCO will host a consultation at its Paris Headquarters between manufacturers of magnetic and optical media and representatives of the audiovisual archives community to establish a basis for cooperation in safeguarding the audiovisual heritage of humanity.

Through its mandate, UNESCO is entrusted with the conservation of the collective memory of humanity in all its forms as a means of preserving identity and shaping the future. A great proportion of this heritage is conserved by libraries and archives on magnetic carriers. According to recent estimates, the worldwide stock of audio and videotapes in archival custody is estimated to be near to 200 million hours.

UNESCO is concerned about the stability of magnetic carriers as a storage media and in view of the immense audio and video holdings, it wishes to establish open dialogue between audiovisual archives and manufacturers of magnetic media in order to jointly develop methods for estimating the life expectancy of these important carriers of cultural information.

Another matter of concern is the stability of recordable Compact Discs (CD-Rs) which are widely used by heritage institutions as target formats in the process of digitization of endangered cultural and intellectual contents that had been originally kept on traditional analogue media.

It will be held on14 June 2002 from 9.30 to 17.00 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. It will enable us to set up a meaningful programme for preservation and digitization projects and avoid an uncontrolled loss of the cultural and intellectual heritage.

For additional information, please contact:

Joie Springer
Information Society Division
UNESCO
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15

Tel: +(331) 45 68 44 97
Fax: +(331) 45 68 55 83

UNESCO Libraries Portal

FIAT/IFTA's contribution to the discussion:

MANUFACTURERS OF ANALOGUE VIDEO RECORDERS: A REPORT OF FUTURE PRODUCTION

The issue:

The members of The International Association of Television Archives(FIAT/IFTA) represent a market for analogue tapes and machines. Worldwide about 160 members of FIAT/IFTA are facing a difficult problem in the future in connection with the analogue technology: The audiovisual archives - storage of radio and television programmes - are responsible for up-dating the knowledge of the analogue technology as long as it is available for the production of new programmes. The new technology called "digitalization" is on the agenda of most television companies worldwide. Few television and radio companies inform you that the new changes have been introduced to the stations all the way: Production, transmission and archive - a complete digitalization of the TV station.

PRODUCTION OF MACHINES

What about the analogue tapes and the future production of the machines needed To view the tapes or to produce new programmes by using old formats? Worldwide the audiovisual archives are facing this situation: The machines produced for production of two inch tapes, one inch tapes, VHS cassettes, Sony Betamax cassettes, Betacam SP, Umatic High Band - you name it ? Who will continue to maintain the production?

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (Nrk) has used Sony Betacam as viewing cassette of the total number of programmes transmitted since 1981. In 1996 the policy was changed. DV cassettes were introduced for viewing purposes. The total number of cassettes: Sony Betacam: 22.700 cassettes dating from 1981 till 1996. The number of VHG cassettes is about: 2.390. What about the quality of the tapes? The answer so far is: Excellent! It is not the tapes and the quality that is the issue: It is the machines made to view the tapes and to edit the tapes. Too few machines available on the market. The machines to view Sony Betacam cassettes are rare to find at all.

CONCLUSION AND QUESTIONS:

The national audiovisual archives worldwide are facing a problem: The old tapes - two inch tapes and one inch tapes - and old formats used by radio archives - are stored in the archives without any machines to be used. The question is: Is the industry of the production of the different machines still interested in producing the machines in the future? What about spare parts for the machines - heads to be used - just to mention one problem? What about the attitude and responsiblilty of the producing industries towards the issues mentioned? What about the fact that the future in the field of audiovisual productions is domintaed by an industry which is more interested in the production of new products that in maintaining the old products? How will you explain to students whose interest is national and cultural heritage that in some years we will not be able to study the audiovisual history of today? And what about students in the year of 3000 who might find some strange tapes in the cellar of an old house? How lost am I in my meditation about the present and the future situation? Please advice me in my recommendations to those students and media archeologists who will attend the universities in year 3000? Join me and be my guest in my travelling in a thrilling world of sounds and moving images and archives.

Tedd Johansen
General Secretary FIAT/IFTA
Head of the Film and Video Tape Library, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK),
Chairman of FIAT/IFTA: The Latin American Regional Group(LARG)