From L-R: PCBL's Peter Fraser with the New Zealand High Commissioner to Niue, HE Mark Gibb.
By Michelle Curran
Strategic Communications, Pasifika TV
After a fire nearly destroyed Broadcasting Corporation of Niue’s (BCN) S-VHS and DVCAM videotapes – and Niue’s treasured history captured on camera – digitisation was an obvious next step to ensuring content was stored safely.
Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) offered BCN assistance and undertook a huge archival project with digitisation and media asset management specialists Silver Trak Digital NZ and DAMsmart NZ.
Chief Financial Officer for PCBL Peter Fraser led the archival project and explains the fire at the BCN studios in 2020 meant BCN had been temporarily operating out of multiple different public buildings during the rebuild.
“After the fire, all the archival S-VHS and DVCAM videotapes were moved to Fale Tau Taoga Niue – the Niue national museum – and stored in boxes in their airconditioned storeroom,” Peter says.
“At this point we researched and found the best digitisation specialists in the region to help us preserve these invaluable memories – those specialists were Silver Trak Digital NZ and DAMsmart NZ.”
After the digitisation project was signed off by the Niue Prime Minister Hon Dalton Tagelagi, General Manager of Silver Trak NZ and DAMsmart NZ David Elder joined Peter in finding, checking, barcoding and packing the collection of tapes to be flown back to Aotearoa New Zealand, for digitisation.
Peter adds PCBL believes projects like this one are vital to the Pacific, as it supports story sovereignty throughout the region.
“For thousands of years, Niue’s history has been passed down orally through generations,” Peter says.
“With the introduction of new technology and internet, digitisation offers the opportunity for Niue’s history to be appreciated and understood by not only the sovereign storytellers, but to those beyond the coral reef.”
