Broadcasting the Island: Sardegna 1 and the Archival Reconstruction of a Local Media Story
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2280-9481/22510Keywords:
Archives, Audiovisual memory, Local television, Media history, Sardegna 1Abstract
The aim of this paper is to reflect upon Sardinian broadcasting through the analysis of one noteworthy case study: the establishment of a local television channel named Sardegna 1 in 1982 and its evolution in the regional mediascape over the 1980s. Adopting a methodology that incorporates archival research and oral history, the study addresses the difficulties involved in reconstructing the broadcaster’s history considering the lack or inaccessibility of official archives. The analysis considers how many of Sardegna 1’s materials, including newscasts and commercials, were lost due to factors such as tape reuse and technological obsolescence, indicating the challenges associated with local television preservation. Given the fragmented nature of local broadcasters’ archives and the lack of comprehensive institutional databases, a multimedia methodology is essential. This approach integrates various archival source, ranging from sound recordings and video footage to newspaper articles and interviews, to reconstruct Sardegna 1’s early years and its role in the evolving Italian television market. The interviews with former Sardegna 1 staff offered remarkable perspectives on the editorial, political, and cultural aspects of the channel, particularly during the years 1987–1989, a period impacted by financial difficulties and organizational changes. This study provides an account of the issues facing regional media archives and assesses the use of oral history as a mean to recover information about lost media content. Moreover, this case study highlights the critical role of archives in preserving the legacy of regional broadcasters and in shaping public memory and cultural identity.
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