Broadcasting
The archives of Mass Media & Culture (MMC) contain wide-ranging collections documenting the history of both commercial and public broadcasting in the United States. Materials cover the business of radio and television, the histories of corporations and trade organizations, the operations and programming of stations and networks, and the careers of executives, writers, performers, producers and engineers. A significant portion of the archives comprises collections from the Library of American Broadcasting (LAB) and the National Public Broadcasting Archives (NPBA), which were combined under MMC in 2011.
Library of American Broadcasting
Initially created in 1972, the LAB was founded by a dedicated band of radio and TV pioneers determined to ensure that the industry’s historical record would not be lost. The collection, originally housed at the National Association of Broadcasters, was accessioned by the University of Maryland in 1994. Since then, the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation has been a crucial partner of the broadcast archives and continues to support the commercial broadcast collections in MMC through advocacy and fundraising. The LAB website contains special feature pages highlighting important collections, information about the annual Giants of Broadcasting event, and a link to make donations.
National Public Broadcasting Archives
The NPBA was established in1990 by broadcast organizations, educational institutions and the University of Maryland to preserve the history of noncommercial broadcasting. Early partnerships with National Public Radio and Maryland Public Television enabled UMD to become a substantial repository for program archives, as well as station and individual records. When the American Archive of Public Broadcasting was founded in 2013, UMD was one of the first institutions to participate in their pilot projects, contributing audio from the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and WAMU collections. They continue to collaborate and cross-promote their collections as preservation efforts expand nationwide.
Collection strengths
- Educational programming
- Photograph collections
- Audiovisual materials
- Women in broadcasting
- Public broadcasting
- Commercial broadcasting
Digital Audiovisual Collections
Research Guides
Access
This material is non-circulating and only accessible in the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library. Some material is available digitally.
Contact
Online exhibitions
Visit our galleries in the Hornbake and Michelle Smith Performing Arts Libraries for current exhibitions and explore digital exhibitions online.
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Donations
Support Special Collections and University Archives by contributing to one of our unique gift funds or by donating material.