Call Number:

SCRC 28

Repository:

Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center

Extent:

1057 linear feet (472 boxes of film, 450 film reels, 475 video reels, 4 drawers of index cards, 140 logbooks)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Title, description and date of item], [Reel number], WPVI News Footage and Logs, SCRC 28, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Date:

circa 1947-2006 (inclusive)

Creator:

WFIL (Television station : Philadelphia, Pa.) and WPVI (Television station : Philadelphia, Pa.)

Form:

16mm (photographic film size), 2-inch quadruplex, 3/4-inch, Betacam-SP, Born digital, DVDs, Hard drives, Logs, PDF, and video recordings (physical artifacts)

Abstract:

WPVI-TV/Channel 6 began broadcasting as WFIL radio and television in 1947, becoming an ABC-TV affiliate in 1948. It was among a number of media outlets owned by the Walter Annenberg-founded Triangle Publications. The WFIL studio at 46th and Market Streets in Philadelphia was the first national facility built expressly for broadcasting and also served as headquarters for Triangle Publications. WFIL's programming included daily news broadcasts, nationally syndicated programming, public service programming, and locally-produced shows such as Bandstand (later the national American Bandstand). In 1971, WFIL was sold to Capital Communications and shortly thereafter changed its call letters to WPVI. A year earlier WPVI created the Action News format which presented a greater number of news stories than competitors through the use of shorter segments. WPVI also continued producing Public Affairs programs such as Visions, El Barrio, Assignment, and Sojourn. In 1985, Capital purchased the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), making WPVI an ABC-owned station.

This collection consists of WFIL/WPVI news footage, documentaries, and production logbooks and index cards generated between 1947 and 2006. The bulk of the collection consists of audiovisual materials recorded for inclusion in news broadcasts, or recordings of the broadcasts themselves. There are also numerous recordings of feature segments and Public Affairs programs including Visions, Assignment, El Barrio, Sojourn, Prime Time, and Philly After Midnight. Footage is a mixture of film, videotape, digitizied, and born-digital audiovisual files.

The WFIL and WPVI production logs and index cards pertain to shooting assignments and news broadcasts. They exist only in hard copy for earlier years but in both hard copy and PDF format for later years. There are sometimes listings for assignments that do not have any corresponding footage in the collection.

The collection is arranged into 2 series as follows:

• Series 1: Accession A, 1947-1985
• Subseries 1.1: 16mm News Footage, 1947-1983
• Subseries 1.2: Public Affairs, 1965-1985
• Subseries 1.3: Logbooks and Index Cards, 1947-1983

• Series 2: Accession B, 1977-2006
• Subseries 2.1: News Footage, 1977-2006
• Subseries 2.2: Public Affairs and Programming, 1977-2006
• Subseries 2.3: Savers, 1977-2006
• Subseries 2.4: Logbooks, 1977-2006