Two specialists from France's Institut national de l'audiovisuel (INA) recently completed a five-day audit of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) archives in Moka. The mission, supported by Expertise France, aimed to address the challenges of preserving fragile historical records and establishing efficient workflows for modern productions. The experts, Madeleine Horvat and Thomas Monteil, have extensive experience in multimedia documentation and project management. Their visit concluded on September 18 with a preliminary debriefing on key findings and strategic development paths.
The MBC archives date back 59 years, housing a collection that had been neglected for a decade, according to Director General Alain Gordon-Gentil. The oldest item discovered is a 16-millimetre film from 1967, which was previously inaccessible due to a lost original label. Gordon-Gentil noted that the archives had suffered from neglect, jokingly remarking that "the termites had a good time." He personally requested assistance from INA specialists, with French Ambassador Frédéric Bontems facilitating the partnership.
The INA experts assessed the condition of MBC's archives, describing it as "fairly classic" for national broadcasters. They found that certain films suffer from "vinegar syndrome," a severe chemical breakdown of the film base. However, many video recordings are stored in protective casings within an environment-controlled storage area. The auditors also noted that storage space is limited and requires prioritization, with some items, such as audio CDs, likely belonging to external radio phonotheques and holding no direct patrimonial value for MBC.
The experts identified several systemic vulnerabilities in MBC's digital data management and metadata tracking. A digitalization drive launched in 2011 is currently inactive, and Monteil cautioned against modern digital hazards, such as data loss due to hard drive failures. He emphasized that the loss of a hard drive can result in the loss of thousands of hours of programs. The experts also noted that there is currently no streamlined workflow to pipe metadata from daily programming schedules directly into the archive department.
Madeleine Horvat highlighted the need for rigorous methodological work to link physical archives with digitized files, particularly with older paper inventories. The experts' findings and recommendations aim to support MBC in building a system that enables the general public, journalists, historians, students, and researchers to consult and acquire the restored archives. Gordon-Gentil stressed that this is the ultimate goal of the project.
The INA experts' visit was facilitated by Expertise France and the French Ambassador to Mauritius, Frédéric Bontems. Their mission is part of a broader effort to support the preservation of historical records and the development of efficient workflows in MBC. The audit's findings and recommendations will likely inform future collaborations between INA and MBC.
The preservation of MBC's archives is crucial for the country's cultural and historical heritage. With the support of international experts, MBC can ensure that its archives are properly conserved and made accessible to the public. The project's success will depend on the implementation of the experts' recommendations and the continued collaboration between INA and MBC.
Key points
- INA experts audit MBC's 59-year-old archives to address preservation and workflow efficiency challenges.
- The audit aims to support MBC in building a system for public access to restored archives.
- The project's success depends on implementing the experts' recommendations and continued collaboration between INA and MBC.
