Radio Downloader & Archives

[Chris J Brady]

Try yet again - again - 
 
> One of the reasons I am keen to 'listen again' to audio broadcasts from 
> the Beeb and elsewhere is that programmes are rarely repeated, especially folk 
> programmes. Take the Mike Harding Folk Music & Song series. Once he got the 
> push he was never heard from again. His slot was taken by one Mike Radcliffe 
> (like 'who?'). Harding's previous programmes will never he heard - 
> ever again. [He now privately podcasts new ones.]
> 
> 
> The Beeb's total lack of interest in archiving its own recordings is legion. 
> Not only did it wipe out thousands of comedy progs, and folk progs, etc., in the 
> 1960s-90s, it had to rely on home-tapers to retrieve many of its 'lost' 
> programmes. Hence the infamous Treasure Hunt. [BTW the 9th ep. of the TV Lark is 
> STILL missing.]
> 
> 
> The role of get_iplayer and Radio Downloader etc. is simply that of a tool for a 
> home-taper who in previous years might have recorded off-air using reel-reel 
> tapes or cassette tapes. The Beeb's complaint about RD breaking DRM etc. is 
> pure nonsense. 
> 
> 
> I personally have many 'lost' folk and comedy programmes. We know the 
> former were junked by the Beeb because the reel-reel masters were found in a 
> skip behind Radio Manchester Studios. They were 'rescued' but then 
> disappeared into a private collection. I have cassette versions from off-air 
> recordings - the only extant copies. Other programmes have been recovered from 
> home-tapers in New Zealand. When approached to donate copies the Beeb scathingly 
> replied "not interested."
> 
> 
> So as far as I am concerned the Beeb is only reaping what it has sown. Many in 
> the OTR fraternity have large archival collections of long 'lost' radio 
> programmes. One main reason for this - apart from the production qualities being 
> far superior to modern ones - is that the radio stations including the Beeb are 
> simply not interested in archiving minority genres, e.g. folk, and are certainly 
> not interested in keeping programmes of such in the public domain where they 
> belong. 
> 
> 
> CJB.
>