The Archives of French Television: The Challenge of the 4Cs

Author: Veyrat-Masson Isabelle  

Publisher: Manchester University Press

ISSN: 1749-6020

Source: Critical Studies in Television: An International Journal of Television Studies, Vol.7, Iss.2, 2012-0, pp. : 36-45

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

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Abstract

France is ahead of its neighbours in Europe and beyond in terms of the conservation of radio and television archives, which originated with the creation of INA in 1975. This article explores how INA's archive policy can be understood less in terms of its criteria for conservation than in the development of its open access to the public. First only reserved for the channels and commercial use, the audiovisual archives were later made available to researchers thanks to the 1992 law on copyright registration. The most radical change affecting the model, which established the concept of archives, began in 2006 when the audiovisual archives were made available to all, thanks to digitalisation and the Internet. The article also considers the implications for collective memory and nationhood.