Archivo Histórico RTA Prisma (Radio y Televisión Argentina)

History and Founding

The Archivo Histórico de los Servicios de Radiodifusión Sonora y Televisiva del Estado Nacional — commonly known as the Archivo Histórico de RTA — was created by presidential decree on 9 April 2013. It was established to bring order to, preserve, digitise, and make publicly accessible the audiovisual and audio materials recorded or broadcast by Radio Nacional (state radio since 1937) and Canal 7 – Televisión Pública (Argentina's state television channel since 1951). Prisma, the archive's public-facing web platform, was launched in October 2015 under the coordination of Tristán Bauer. Following a period of reduced activity during 2017–2020, the platform was relaunched in 2021 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Argentine television.

Collections and Holdings

Prisma makes available more than 4,000 audiovisual and audio pieces covering approximately 100 years of Argentine broadcast history. The collection encompasses 16mm film records of the Televisión Pública newsreel from 1956 onward, U-matic video cassettes from 1983, and subsequent digital formats. Physical holdings are stored in two climate-controlled vaults: one in the building of the Televisión Pública and one at the Radio Nacional transmitter facility in Pacheco, Buenos Aires Province. The archive also holds exogenous collections acquired through digitisation agreements with other public institutions, including historical newsreel material such as the Sucesos Argentinos series from the 1940s and 1950s.

Relevance to Journalism and Media History

The Archivo Histórico de RTA is one of the most important repositories of broadcast journalism history in Latin America. Its holdings include decades of news broadcasts, political addresses, cultural programming, and documentary material that collectively mirror the political history of Argentina across democratic and authoritarian periods. The archive provides licensed access to audiovisual content for documentary producers, researchers, and public institutions, and actively participates in the production of programming on the Televisión Pública.

Access and Usage

Prisma provides free online access to a reduced-quality version of catalogued materials. Each record includes a 21-field catalogue entry with title, synopsis, and contextual notes. High-resolution copies are available for licensed use in accordance with the Reglamento de Funcionamiento del Archivo Histórico de RTA. The platform's catalogue grows daily as new materials are digitised and catalogued. Weekly featured items and thematic collections are curated by the archive team.