By the end of the IOC massive patrimonial assets preservation programme (PAM)- awarded as Best Archive Preservation Project by FIAT/IFTA in 2015, we launched a project to complete our audio-visual collections as most of the TV coverage of Games editions from Melbourne 1956 to L.A 1984 was missing. Prior to 1988, there was no systematic retrieval in the IOC archives of the original feed produced by Host Broadcasters.
Objectives of this new project were to:
- identify the Olympic TV coverage contents preserved at broadcasters throughout the world;
- evaluate the type of contents (cleanfeed vs localised feed, format, isolated audio tracks, etc.) as well as the preservation status and the availability of original material;
- carry out an in-depth legal assessment to determine IP rights.
- build ad hoc projects in partnership with relevant broadcasters to migrate contents into IOC’s archive.
During that journey, - a real detective like trip - we have encountered various challenges: difficulties in tracing existing material throughout the world, lack of information, unclear legal status, great variety of video and film supports, technical obsolescence, negotiation with broadcasters... On the other hand, it has been a great opportunity to reach out to other archives, collaborate, share best practices and build common projects of added value for both parties.
Our presentation aims at sharing the ins and outs of this on-going project as well as lessons learned, with a specific focus on the successful and highly symbolic partnership set up with BHRT (Bosnia-Herzegovina Television), with the technical support of Memnon, for the preservation of the master tapes containing the TV coverage of the Sarajevo 84 Winter Olympic Games. This project also enabled BHRT to build up a full digitization chain for the preservation of all their endangered archives that could be rescued from the 90’s war.
