The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: A digital media archival project

Abstract

This case study examines the release of the iconic, long-awaited, American Entertainment television archive of Johnny Carson. Using proper archival techniques, the extensive Johnny Carson Library became accessible to fans worldwide, as well as licensing partners, interested in the private footage of America’s favourite late night television host. The Carson Library represents both an important record of the recent past and serves as a model for media archives in the future. Audiences may now view a wide range of selected clips on a portal website, which provides the media and production industry with 3,300 hours of searchable show content. Also examined in this study are the challenges and processes for how The Johnny Carson Collection became accessible to the mass public. Using MediaMine LLC’s state-of-the-art machine room, the collection was fully digitised, transcribed and monetised — ultimately bringing the archive back to life. The hope is to illustrate the importance of digital media today and how, by preserving legacy content, collections can continue to live on with relevance.