The imperative to preserve audiovisual collections has been under the spotlight in recent years and manifested in the declaration of October, 27 as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage by UNESCO. UNESCO recognised that audiovisual documents, including radio and television programmes, contained the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries and that radio and television recordings are “part of the national cultural heritage” (UNESCO, 2010).
Public Service Broadcasters have an obligation to manage their records as public organisations. This is often legislated as depicted in Broadcast Acts, Legal Deposit Acts or National Archive Acts. Public broadcasters therefore have to protect collections from physical deterioration and damage to minimise any loss of information (Pearce-Moses, 2005). It stands to reason that Public Service Broadcasters should be informed and up to date with preservation strategies and should ensure the safeguarding of these records.
This paper will investigate the current status of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) member Public Service Broadcasting archives, best practices employed by the broadcasters to ensure long-term preservation of their collections and digitisation strategies in place to ensure
long-term preservation of its collections.