In November last year, The Times Literary Supplement carried an article headed “Who Controls the Past” which highlighted the terrible news that the BBC was planning to restrict access to its written archives house at Caversham near Reading.
Even before that point, gaining access to these archives had not been easy, as there is no catalogue accessible to the public. However, as I found out in 2021, when researching the wartime radio series Thirsty Work, the staff were brilliantly helpful and helped me access scripts, accounts and correspondence which contained fascinating details about the songs and the singers featured in the programmes.
I was horrified to read in that TLS article that new research and public enquiries were to be discouraged, visiting hours drastically reduced and enquirers to be fobbed off with a pre-prepared selection of accessible materials curated by the BBC themselves. I immediately signed up to the BBC Written Archives Campaign, which is headed by broadcasting historian Ian Greaves.
I am pleased to be able to report some small success just announced (26th June). In a nutshell, campaigners had begun to use the Freedom of Information Act to demand access to “unavailable” files and this procedure is now in the process of being streamlined, with one layer of bureaucracy at least being removed.
“As was pointed out by users [ … ] this policy – introduced by the Lead Curator – risked making us look foolish years down the track when files were then revealed to have existed all along and which contradicted our published writing on the subject.”
Without a catalogue to consult, much intuitive guesswork is still needed to request specific files, but the Campaign now offers advice on how to use the Freedom of Information legislation.
You can support the campaign and get the latest news by signing up to their (very occasional) newsletter: bbcwaccampaign@gmail.com
https://www.the-tls.com/politics-society/the-media/bbc-archives-essay-j-e-smyth
You can read more about the Thirsty Work radio series via the links below. These articles would have been much the poorer without the information uncovered in the BBC Written Archives Centre.
https://theballadpartners.co.uk/2025/02/19/thirsty-work-and-other-legacies-of-folk-song/
https://unsunghistories.info/thirsty-work-part-1-traditional-singing-on-the-radio-1940-41
Katie Howson