The American Archive of Public Broadcasting

June 3, 2017 8:04 PM

The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) Online Reading Room offers streaming access within the United States to nearly 10,000 public television and radio programs from the past 60 years. Read their blog, view their curated exhibits or browse media by topic.

A collaboration between WGBH and the Library of Congress, the Reading Room provides online access to approximately 25% of the AAPB collection -- 40,000 hours of programming. The entire archive is housed in Boston and at the Library of Congress.

The collection contains thousands of nationally-oriented programs. The vast majority of this initial content, however, consists of regional, state, and local programs selected by more than 100 stations and archives across the U.S. that document American communities during the last half of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st. The collection includes news and public affairs programs, local history productions, and programs dealing with education, science, music, art, literature, dance, poetry, environmental issues, religion, and even filmmaking on a local level.

Since last November, Vision Maker Media, producer of Native American educational and home videos, has been streaming a different film each week from their archives for free at the AAPB, featuring Native voices from Native producers. The program is called 40 Years. 40 Films. 40 Weeks. The schedule can be seen here (pdf). More info for each film can be found on the American Archive's blog.

posted by zarq (9 comments total)

Well, I was going to do some other things the rest of this year, but ... okay.

This is one of those times when this is a pretty cool world in which to live.
posted by bryon at 8:42 PM on June 3, 2017 [5 favorites]

I just finished The Dream Machine, a book about the arc of 20th Century computer tech development centering on Licklider and ARPA et al. so Invented Here from PBS affiliate WXXI in Rochester looks promising. Alas, just two episodes, one on Xerox and one on Kodak.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 8:48 PM on June 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

It looks like there are currently 781 videos related to the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour. Many of which are entire episodes, going back decades.
posted by zarq at 9:03 PM on June 3, 2017 [3 favorites]

dun dunna da da da, da DAH da!
daaaaaaaaaaaa
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 9:11 PM on June 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I remember this clip from Zoom!
posted by fings at 9:20 PM on June 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I put this into the bookmarks bar on Chrome so I've got something for quiet inside days. All thanks and praise to Zarq!
posted by Ber at 9:00 AM on June 4, 2017

I remember this clip from Zoom!

Came here for the FULL Zoom episodes, was bitterly disappointed. :(
posted by Melismata at 1:11 PM on June 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yessssss!
posted by mightshould at 1:33 PM on June 4, 2017

My word. I'm listening to James Brown talking to a Boston audience the day after MLK was assassinated, talking about growing up as a shoeshining kid in Georgia. Fascinating. Their Fixit game to help with transcriptions is inspired.
posted by jessamyn at 8:14 PM on June 4, 2017 [2 favorites]