ERT Archive Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Audiovisual Archive

Overview

The ERT Archive is the publicly accessible audiovisual and photographic archive of ERT (Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi), the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation — Greece's state-owned public broadcaster. The archive is accessible online at archive.ert.gr and represents the largest audiovisual archive in Greece.

History and Founding

ERT began broadcasting in 1938. Over decades of operation, the corporation accumulated an extensive collection of television programmes, radio recordings, news footage, photographs, and documents spanning modern Greek history. The archive's digital phase began with a major digitization initiative in the mid-2000s, when ERT partnered with Dalet Media Systems and Pierides TechnoSystems to digitize its legacy tape-based holdings through a dedicated Digital Documentation Centre (DDC).

The broadcaster was controversially shut down by the Greek government in June 2013 during the austerity crisis, which temporarily disrupted archival access. ERT was reconstituted in 2015 and has since continued expanding its digital archive infrastructure, including a subsequent Digital Preservation Centre project.

Collections and Holdings

The ERT Archive contains television programmes dating from the 1950s to the present, including documentaries, entertainment series, newscasts, and cultural programming. The collection also includes a substantial radio archive with audio recordings, as well as photographic materials and musical scores. ERT holds what is described as the richest audiovisual archive in Greece, reflecting key moments of modern Greek history, national cultural heritage, and broadcasting history.

Significance for Journalism and Media

The ERT Archive is of exceptional value for media historians and journalism researchers. It contains decades of Greek television and radio journalism, news broadcasts, and documentary reporting, making it a primary source for studying the history of Greek public media and political communication.

Access and Usage

The archive is accessible to the public through the ERT Archive website, where content is continuously enriched with new and historical material. The online platform streams video and audio content and includes photographic and document collections.