The collection management of Latin American broadcast media from the end of the Cold War

Abstract

This paper discusses the problems associated with the management of digital assets — notably broadcast material. It focuses on material documenting the traumatic historical processes, authoritarian regimes, restricted democracies, oppression and social protest in Colombia, Chile and Central America during the 1980s. The preservation of this kind of subject matter can be complicated as galleries, libraries, archives and museums often lack the necessary state-level support enjoyed by other national collections. Furthermore, their visibility and lifespan are dependent on governmental decisions rather than public policies. In such scenarios, the sustainability of collection management policies, digitisation and an access and reuse of information cannot be taken for granted. This paper draws on research funded by the 2018 International Federation of Television Archives Media Studies Grant.