Celebrating the Sound of History - Fifty Years Of Sound Archives
New Zealand history captured in sound will be a focus of attention as Radio New Zealand Sound Archives/Nga Taonga Korero celebrates its 50th birthday this year .
Sound produces a multi-faceted archive – so along with all the nostalgia - Aunt Daisy, declarations of war, news broadcasts and waiata, quizzes and serials, old-time commercials, and racing commentaries, - Sound Archives is also as up-to-date as the multitude of radio stations that dot the listening landscape right now. The archive is a living entity, continuing to take in today’s broadcasts that will reflect present-day trends, tastes and values for future generations.
As part of the 50th birthday celebrations Radio New Zealand National will broadcast several special programmes next week, beginning with features on Queens Birthday Monday dedicated to Sound Archives. During the rest of the week Radio New Zealand National will carry more archival material in Afternoons with Jim Mora.
Sound Archives/Nga Taonga Korero as we know it today grew out of two separate organizations, Sound Archives (which houses the general radio collection, early acetate discs, Mobile Unit Wartime Recordings and New Zealand Oral History Recordings) and Nga Taonga Korero (predominantly Maori audio)
In 1998 the two
organisations were amalgamated following a 1996 review of NZ
on Air’s media archiving policy. This new unit is now
separately funded by NZ on Air to act as a national
broadcast radio archive for all sectors of the radio
industry.
ENDS