Preservation and Digitization of the New York Public Radio Archives

FAIN: CHA-268844-21

WNYC Radio (New York, NY 10013-1220)
Andy Lanset (Project Director: May 2019 to present)

The preservation of a portion of the New York Public Radio’s historical sound recordings and the implementation of a Digital Asset Management system for the NYPR Archives.

The NYPR Archives, which houses the historic assets of WNYC and WQXR, two of NYC’s oldest and thriving media organizations, are at a crossroads: it must preserve its collections and transform to keep up with the rapid pace of technology in the digital age. NYPR respectfully requests a grant of $750,000 from the NEH to support the Preservation and Digitization of the NYPR Archives. To preserve humanities programming of significant historic and cultural interest and import, we must move forward in two ways: 1. Complete the preservation of the Archives’ physical assets in honor of WNYC’s centennial and legacy (2024) and 2. Upgrade and transform the Archives’ digital infrastructure and capacity for the 21st century by introducing and implementing a Digital Asset Management System. It is essential for the NYPR Archives to implement this project as it will provide an invaluable repository of humanities programming documenting American civic and cultural history for generations to come.