FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2026

The objective of this presentation is to reflect upon the state of digital preservation in Brazil within both the public and private sectors. This analysis is conducted through two case studies: Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) and Rede Globo. This work summarizes research compiled for an academic article currently in its final stages of preparation.
Established in 2007, EBC represents the unification of what is estimated to be nine public communication outlets, including TV Brasil. In addition to the television archives produced by the station itself, EBC inherited collections from defunct educational broadcasters: TVE Maranhão, founded in 1969, TVE Rio de Janeiro, created in 1975, and TV Nacional de Brasília, which was inaugurated in 1960. Over its nearly twenty-year history, the company has sought to adapt to technological innovations in the preservation of and access to television archives. Since 2015, EBC has utilized a Media Asset Management (MAM) platform, which enables the digital archiving of raw footage and television programs, as well as the viewing, downloading, and keyword-based searching of assets. This system is gradually replacing the legacy IAcervo platform, which primarily recorded media formats and metadata such as cataloging details, synopses, and production dates. In line with this modernization, the Archives and Research Department implemented a digitization project in 2019 for U-matic (KA) media. These tapes contain some of TVE Rio’s most significant programming, such as Sem Censura, No Mundo da Bola, and Edição Nacional.
Rede Globo, Brazil’s largest broadcaster, was founded in 1965. Its documentation efforts began in 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, though the CEDOC (Documentation Center) department was not officially inaugurated until 1976. The collection is stored on a wide variety of media formats developed over the decades for audio and video storage, ranging from Quadruplex and U-matic tapes to contemporary LTO (Linear Tape-Open) technology. Content that was originally captured on magnetic tape is now captured digitally via binary code; however, this still necessitates storage solutions, whether physical media or virtual environments such as the cloud. Rede Globo has also undergone a significant evolution in its processes, progressing from paper-based cataloging stored in folders to sophisticated computerized systems. Initially, these systems were developed by in-house engineers; subsequently, the company entered into agreements with Dalet, and later Vizrt and DIVA, to outsource these services. Concurrent with this process is the digitization of analog media, generating digital assets that allow for a fully digital production workflow. This transition further facilitates the long-term conservation of original physical documents by reducing the need for repeated handling, as digital versions become the primary point of access. The purpose of this thirty-minute presentation is, therefore, to reflect on the Brazilian preservation landscape through a dialogue between these two distinct institutional experiences.