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Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
I'll bet most here didn't even know Canada had a Broadcasting Museum. That's because it's constantly struggling to get funding and one of the execs. in charge now says it's almost too late to save much of this country's broadcast history.
Part of the problem is that the material it wants to preserve is often in a fragile state, stored on very old brittle films or extremely degraded tapes. And they don't have the proper temperature-controlled facilities to store them in. Those who boost the idea were hoping for a small cash infusion by recent changes to the Broadcasting Act by the CRTC.
But nothing came of that. Now time is truly a factor as whatever is left of the Museum nears its end date.
"From its inception, the foundation’s mandate was simple but essential: to preserve the decades’ old national analogue record of Canadian film, television, and music...The lifespan of millions of hours of Canadian creative achievement are now in jeopardy: the Canadian Broadcast Museum Foundation itself will soon cease to exist."
As a big fan of early broadcast history - no matter what country - I'd consider that a tragedy. Because once lost, it can never be recovered. And a lot of history - both cultural and otherwise - will be gone forever.
Preserving a vital resource: our broadcast heritage
- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
RadioActive wrote:
As a big fan of early broadcast history - no matter what country - I'd consider that a tragedy. Because once lost, it can never be recovered. And a lot of history - both cultural and otherwise - will be gone forever.
Preserving a vital resource: our broadcast heritage
The National Archives of Canada has an extensive collection of broadcast material dating back to the 1920s, including some sound material from the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which was the forerunner of the CBC. However, accessing the material can be difficult unless you know specifically what to look for in your search. The former Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa also had a long-running display on the history of broadcasting in Canada, but it was dismantled several years ago when the Museum was renovated.
The purpose behind the Aireum is certainly worth supporting and it appears to have some backing from the Slaight and Waters charitable foundations, as well as broadcasters like Golden West and Evanov. It would be great to see if someone like Jimmy Pattison or David Thomson, who have broadcast connections and are among the richest people in Canada, could step up here to make something happen.
- Cheese2RF
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
The National Archives of Canada has an extensive collection of broadcast material dating back to the 1920s, including some sound material from the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which was the forerunner of the CBC.
My question is when we have the national archives, why is the broadcasting museum keeping antique records on file. Maybe it’s because I’m a gear head but I would expect to see room full of massive AM and TV transmitters and vintage CBC branded pocket radios, reel to reels, old mixers and maybe a early mobile broadcast van!
Like what ever happened to the CBC shortwave transmitter, that sort of thing should be on display, or first FM transmitter placed on the CN tower!
Even the old combiner that I’m sure they will start to tear up is a contender for a monumental part of Canadian broadcasting history!
Like when I go to the aerospace museum, I wanna see the planes, not the flight logs… unless they are posted in front of said plane!
- Doug Thompson
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
The National Archives of Canada (Library & Archives Canada) DOES NOT and has not for many years, collected private broadcasting artifacts and archives. They collect mainly government archives now. In fact, when called by private individuals or broadcast entities to donate, they refer them to the Canadian Broadcast Museum Foundation. Aireum is only the name of the website. The Slaight, Waters, Pattison, Evanof, Golden West and Ken Murphy (Hi Fidelity HDTV that was purchased by Blue Ant) have all contributed, but on a one time only basis. There are over 65,000 items in the CBMF Archives at the moment, including the original commercial break drawing used for the first Hockey Night in Canada broadcast on CBC, a wooden compass that was used in D-Day in the CBC vehicle known as Big Betsy, Michael McClear's portable typewriter that he hauled all over Vietnam during that war, 30 years of scripts from Gordon Sinclair's CFRB news and commentary, many Betty Kennedy CFRB interviews, the CBC Drama Department sound effects (huge doors etc) and much of the CHUM Archives.
The reason the CBMF presented to the CRTC, at their request by the way, was to receive on-going funding to create a virtual on line museum. The CBMF has never collected transmitters and large technical things like that.
Last edited by Doug Thompson (June 28, 2024 11:45 pm)
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- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
Doug....thanks for your clarifications.
My point was not that Library and Archives Canada is still collecting broadcasting material, but that a substantial amount of stuff IS there, if you know where to look. When I worked at Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa, there was a special button we could flick in our audio production studio to send material directly to the Archives audio department. We were encouraged, if we had downtime, to send our voicers, VAs, raw interviews and other material to them and often did so. Checking the Archives collection website yesterday, I noted there's still a collection of SBN stuff available there, similar to the CBC Radio, as well as material from Newsradio and the former Broadcast News, which is now Canadian Press.
I'm glad to see that some of the private broadcasting companies are supporting the Aireum project, at least with one time donations. However, I can't help but wonder if JImmy Pattison (worth an estimated $9 billion US) or David Thomson ($8 billion US) could reach into their tattered coat pockets to drop in at least a few beans on a consistent basis to help preserve the history of the media that were at least partially responsible for elevating them to the upper crust.
- Doug Thompson
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
Bowmanille Bob: You would think that they might since the CBMF is a non-profit charity and they'd get a tax credit....but they don't.
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- Saul
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Bowmanille Bob: You would think that they might since the CBMF is a non-profit charity and they'd get a tax credit....but they don't.
Maybe someone knows someone who knows someone, and they could be asked ?
- RadioActive
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
Billboard Canada takes up the cause for preserving our broadcast history, with a major editorial - and a statement from SOWNY member Doug Thompson.
The Need to Preserve Canada's Broadcasting History
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Canada's Broadcast Museum On The Brink Of Extinction
Radio Insight has a great column on this very topic, about why it's so important for radio stations to preserve their past. Especially since some of them wind up finding those days can also have a huge effect on their future. Not to mention broadcasting history itself.
"What happens when the guy who hosted weekend shifts in college becomes the next Ryan Seacrest and you have nothing to show for it? Or when the local kid who sang on your morning show becomes a #1 artist a decade later? Who will have the archives?"
Your Brand's Legacy Is In Your Archives
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