Oral History Meets TV = Transcription Bliss @ ATC
We here at the Audio Transcription Center have probably all watched more television in our lives than we care to admit. Still, we like to think of ourselves less as gluttons for the tube and more as refined connoisseurs of the medium. But, though we may try to act all cool, nothing sets us a-twitter like receiving a new transcription assignment from our friends at the Archive of American Television (you might know them better as “The Emmys”)
Wait, TV has an Archive?
Yup. Founded in 1997, the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television is a treasure trove of one-on-one interviews with TV luminaries — from the early pioneers who shaped the medium, to beloved personalities of TV’s golden age; from the actors, actresses, news anchors, and hosts who’ve worked in front of the camera, to the directors, writers, composers and producers who’ve worked behind the scenes.
From the BoobTube to YouTube
And, as part of its vision “to chronicle electronic media history as it evolves… and make the interviews available worldwide,” the Archive has digitized over 2,000 hours of its original content, making hundreds of these interviews accessible online. For FREE.
A few of the most recently posted interviews include:
- Beloved Children’s television performer (and avid sweater collector) Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
- Famously irreverent and ever insightful comedian George Carlin (ironically, the man who gave the world the “Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television,” which he discusses here).
- Former Golden Girl who’s having a late career revival with roles in hit movies and TV commercials and an upcoming gig hosting Saturday Night Live, Betty White.
- And Mr Television himself, Milton “Uncle Miltie” Berle.
And of course our first love, Transcripts
In addition to having hundreds of interviews available to watch online, complete transcripts of most of the interviews are available from the Archive (for a fee, and for research purposes only). For additional info, contact the Archive’s Digital Projects Manager, Jenni Matz.