Audiovisual
Digitisation of Audiovisual Archives
Search Guide
The majority of the Council of Europe's audiovisual archives have been digitised and are now accessible to the general public on an online multimedia platform, the Media Asset Management system (MAM). The media are asked to contact the Directorate of Communications at TvCoord@coe.int for any audiovisual material that cannot be found on the MAM.
Collection Description
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code: FrSbCOE
Title: Audiovisual Archives of the Council of Europe
Creation Date: 1949 –
Description Level: Collection
Extent: over 10,000 hours of original recordings:
- Audio recordings: 3,800 lacquer discs, 100 vinyl discs, 2,800 tapes, 700 audio cassettes, 4,000 CDs
- Video recordings: 5,500 Betas, 200 films (video-Betacam SP, Digital Betacam, DVcam, MPEG2, DVD, XDcam, Windows media).
Location: Council of Europe
CONTEXT
Name of Creator: Council of Europe
Administrative History
The collection known as the "Audiovisual Archives" was created in 2007 when the Directorate of Information Technology took charge of the audiovisual archives. The audio recordings, videos and films were then moved from the Directorate of Communications, where they had been produced, to Central Archives. Archival photos remained under the responsibility of the department having produced them.
CONTENT
The collection covers Council of Europe activities from 1949 to the present. It comprises:
- audio recordings of the speeches made during all sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, as well as speeches made during some sessions of the European Parliament
- recordings of press conferences and radio broadcasts
- interviews with leading figures from contemporary history.
ACCESS
The Directorate of Information Technology has digitised most of the Council of Europe's audiovisual recordings. These recordings are available for download in the audiovisual platform MAM. Since 2018, new audiovisual recordings (PACE and Congress sessions, the World Forum for Democracy) are uploaded directly in the Media Asset Management system (MAM) and available for download.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The files are arranged chronologically. A major programme is underway to re-organise, digitise and ensure the correct preservation of all audiovisual material.
DESCRIPTION
Date of description: compiled on 28/08/2008, updated on 2 December 2019.