Over three million
valuable historical records across TV, radio and print converted into secure
digital form, including more than five thousand hours of unique TV footage of the
UAE history and late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
ADM delegation meets with
BBC and NBIG to benchmark against international archiving standards
Abu Dhabi Media (ADM)
has announced the successful completion of the first phase of its pioneering
digital archiving initiative today, which has seen the restoration and
conversion of more than three million of the company’s rare and historical
media materials into digital form, using the latest digital archiving
technology.
ADM’s digital
archiving project is a nine-year program that aims to restore and protect the
company’s historical videos, sound files and documents, by converting them into
a secure digital format. Set for completion in 2020, the archiving project is
divided into a number of stages, beginning with the foundation phase, which ADM
has successfully completed on time over the past two-years.
Abu Dhabi Media
will be engaging an international archiving firm, with expertise in this type
of digital archiving, to partner with the company and oversee the remaining stages
of the project, in order to ensure it is completed according to international
best-practice.
Commenting on the
initiative Saif Saeed Ghobash, Abu Dhabi Media’s Chief Operating Officer said:
“As the oldest media organization in the country, many of Abu Dhabi Media’s
assets chronicle the history of the United Arab Emirates from 1950 up until
today. The company is committed to preserving this legacy for future
generations, and the conversion of its archives into digital form will result
in a comprehensive archive of classified digital content, that will ensure the
durability, security and easy access of these valuable resources.” Abu Dhabi
Media also plans to integrate a commercial model into its archiving plans that
will allow the company to make the restored and archived materials available to
other entities outside of the organization.
Abdul Hadi Al
Sheikh, Abu Dhabi Media’s Executive Director of Digital
Media Services, commented on the
project, “Abu Dhabi Media’s digital archiving initiative is of particular
importance to the company, as we have a responsibility to ensure the
preservation of these unique and valuable historical records for the future. We
are working steadily towards the creation of a world-class digital archive that
captures some of the most important historical moments in the UAE’s history
across print, radio and TV. Our digital archiving project will ensure these
resources are available to be utilized and shared for the benefit of the wider
community.”
The foundation
phase of the digital archiving project began with a full review and audit of
the existing historical assets within ADM. During this phase more than three
million of the company’s records, which were previously held on tape or in
physical form at risk of damage, have been converted into a secure digital
format. The files were also given a full restoration, improving image and sound
quality, before being classified and archived for future use.
A team of dedicated
ADM employees have been trained to lead the ongoing initiative and to utilize
the company’s cutting-edge digital archiving technology. To date, the project
has seen the successful digital transformation and archiving of more than 5000
hours of unique television footage of the UAE history, most of which was
content related to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Over 16,000
hours of radio broadcast, and 3.5 million files and images from across the
company’s newspaper and publishing records have also been restored and
converted. The resulting archive documents many of the country’s most important
social, cultural, artistic and historical events.
Looking ahead to
the next phase of the project, ADM led a delegation to Europe in March to meet
with reputable international media companies, the BBC in London and NBIG in
Amsterdam, in order to benchmark its current progress against world-class
expertise. During the meetings, the organizations shared knowledge and
exchanged ideas on archiving best-practice, as well as discussed future collaboration.
ADM was also given a full review of the two organization’s media archives, including
the private archives of the British royal family.
The second phase of
Abu Dhabi Media’s digital archiving project is now underway, and will include
the restoration, digital transformation and archiving of thousands of important
documents and files from within the company’s records. This will build on the
first phase of the project, and bring ADM closer to achieving a comprehensive
digital archive that preserves both the company’s and the nation’s historical
media assets.
No comments:
Post a Comment