SO! Amplifies: Josh Shepperd on the Radio Preservation Task Force of the Library of Congress (from FlowTV)
SO! Amplifies. . .a highly-curated, rolling mini-post series by which we editors hip you to cultural makers and organizations doing work we really really dig. You’re welcome!
Thank you to Josh Sheppard and FlowTV for permission to reprint this excellent call to action.
—
Primary Sources, Primary Sounds: The Radio Preservation Task Force of the Library of Congress
Sound history is cultural history. And a giant part of our history has yet to be preserved, researched, or taught in our classrooms. Our omissions are disproportionately distributed among the local and the liminal, the pastoral and the public, and marginalized and minority experiences. Sound trails continue where paper trails end, and we have an opportunity to provide new insight into the cultural history of the U.S. thanks to recent innovations in sound preservation technology. The Radio Preservation Task Force (RPTF) of the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) of the Library of Congress (LOC) is a growing 125-faculty member and 275-archive Digital Humanities initiative working to broaden the historical record by unearthing, mapping, and making available materials that that chronicle experiences neglected in existing historical accounts, such as minority, political, orientation, social advocacy, and educational groups. Perspectives and events that have remained unaddressed by the primary document record will receive new recognition by focusing preservation on the conversational and community building character of noncommercial and local radio history.

Soul Music/Civil Rights Legend DJ Herb Kent at WVON-Chicago
A historical marvel of nation-building, serialization, and aesthetic innovation, radio has also been utilized for multiple purposes beyond entertainment: from education, to a technology of opinion-formation, to a medium for political problem-solving. Much of the early history of the ether consists of distance learning broadcasts, public forums, and civic debates, and in addition to local theatrical and drive time programming the task force is concerned with making these important historical records accessible for the first time. To frame the project in historiographical terms, the RPTF is approaching radio history as a study of what the Birmingham school might call the genealogy of how strategies for circulation of discursive codes, as representations, became central to an expanded concept of the public sphere that included popular culture. If we accept the historiographical argument that content representations are also implementations of discursive, political, and industrial strategies, then radio might be viewed as a medium in which institutional and intellectual projects endeavored to communicate with and persuade community members about a specific perspective or initiative. In this way, radio history has the capacity to reveal the development and dissemination of cultural aspirations and viewpoints, and its consequent archive can be understood as a series of concurrent media advocacies that sought to define conditions of social attunement.
[Reblogged from FlowTV, to continue reading Josh on the RPTF, please click here.]
—
RPTF Logo, courtesy of the author; designed by artist Daniel Murphy (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).
—
Josh Shepperd is Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Catholic University in Washington D.C. He teaches courses related to critical, conceptual, and methodological approaches to media studies. He is also actively involved in digital humanities media preservation, and currently serve as the National Research Director of the Radio Preservation Task Force for theNational Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress.
—
REWIND!…If you liked this post, you may also dig:
The New Wave: On Radio Arts in the UK–Magz Hall
SO! Amplifies: Ian Rawes and the London Sound Survey–Ian Rawes
SO! Amplifies: Carleton Gholz and the Detroit Sound Conservancy–Carleton Gholz
Tags: FlowTV, Josh Shepperd, LIbrary of Congress, Radio Preservation Task Force
ISSN 2333-0309
Recent Posts
- “It’s Time to End the Publishing Gatekeeping!”: SO! stands with RaceB4Race
- Listen to yourself!: Spotify, Ancestry DNA, and the Fortunes of Race Science in the Twenty-First Century
- Black Excellence on the Airwaves: Nora Holt and the American Negro Artist Program
- Blank Space and “Asymmetries of Childhood Innocence”
- Youth, Reverberations, and Detroit’s Most Charismatic Rapper
Archives
Categories
Search for topics. . .
Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!
- RT @DonGiovanniRecs: Massive co-sign right here twitter.com/graceambrose/s… 2 hours ago
- tressiemcphd.medium.com/we-pod-black-b… 21 hours ago
- RT @soulphoodie: Outkast’s André 3000 shines a light on food insecurity for the elderly with a quick lil’ apple pie wapo.st/2XxsS73… 1 day ago
Like us on Facebook!
RSS Feeds
Authors Sounding Out!
-
202smike
-
Tahmahkera
-
aalbin2014
-
abradschwartz
-
abronfman
-
acajc3
-
Adam Craig
-
admiller99
-
afamsound
-
airekb
-
Andy Kelleher Stuhl
-
Wanda Alarcon
-
Alexandrine Lacelle
-
Alexander W. Cowan
-
Alexis Deighton MacIntyre
-
Alexander Russo
-
allisonoyoung1
-
alyxvesey
-
amandakeeler35
-
andré m. carrington Ph.D.
-
Tara Rodgers
-
Andreas Duus Pape
-
Aaron Trammell
-
annafriz
-
Andrew J. Salvati
-
aramsinnreich
-
arenaboy14
-
asamendelsohn
-
ashoncrawley
-
atau20
-
aureliomezavaldez
-
austinthomasrichey
-
awrasmussen
-
badcoverversion
-
Bridget Hoida
-
Benjamin Gold
-
bentausig
-
bighapa75
-
Bill Bahng Boyer
-
bonniesmillar
-
brianedgarhanrahan
-
@unibcarlson
-
brownellcassie
-
caleblazaromoreno
-
lcardoso
-
D. Ines Casillas
-
cbudhaditya
-
celestedaymoore
-
charlesweiselberg
-
chrischienblog
-
clairescooley
-
camscott
-
Colin Black
-
cooksterkc
-
cpastdaboxsoundwordwaves
-
croman2
-
Craig Shank
-
Caitlin Marshall
-
Shawn Higgins
-
cyndaminthia
-
Christie Zwahlen
-
Dan DiPiero
-
danielcavicchi
-
Danijela Kulezic-Wilson
-
davdlee
-
davidbgreenberg
-
davidfontnavarrete
-
davidhendy
-
ddkeane
-
debraraecohen
-
Denise Gill
-
derekvaillant
-
dhad21
-
Monica De La Torre
-
Brittnay Proctor
-
dorothyk98
-
dpettman
-
drdawkins
-
J. Stoever
-
Osvaldo Oyola
-
drtonieshaltaylor
-
Meghan Drury
-
dtraversscott
-
Daniel A. Walzer
-
earlbrooksumbc
-
ecopoetics
-
ehrick2014
-
eleanorkr
-
eleona
-
Elizabeth Newton
-
empetch
-
Emma Leigh
-
encaramarla
-
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo
-
ericweisbard
-
erikgranly
-
erupton
-
Emmanuelle Sonntag
-
estherbourdages
-
ewl4p
-
fallingmountaineering
-
fbridges
-
Feminatronic
-
flipsin77
-
fugikawa
-
gameaudioschool
-
gaylewald1
-
gcornish
-
ghostyblog
-
ginaarnold
-
Gretchen Jude
-
Gus Stadler
-
guestlistener
-
Holger Schulze
-
hystericalblackness
-
iandunham920
-
ianrawes
-
iancoss
-
imanikaijohnson
-
irisviverosavendao
-
jacobsmith1970
-
James Hodges
-
jaymloomis
-
jbraddoc
-
jdowdell
-
jeajou
-
Jeb Middlebrook
-
jeckstein
-
Jentery Sayers
-
jeteague
-
jgabrielaj
-
jhyland0
-
jlzweck
-
jmartinvest
-
Josh Garrett-Davis
-
jnmusser
-
Jonathan Sterne
-
Josh Ottum
-
Joshua Hudelson
-
jstasiowska
-
jtlsty1
-
Juan Sebastian Ferrada
-
juntinghuang
-
justinadamsburton
-
jwernimont
-
Kaj Ahlsved
-
kaitlynliu
-
katbat67
-
kellyhiser
-
Kelly J. Baker
-
kemiadeyemi
-
kevin13allred
-
knw8433
-
kristinmoriah
-
kstedman
-
kswinehart
-
kwjager
-
laorale
-
priscilla peña ovalle
-
liam665
-
Lilian Radovac
-
lindaokeeffe
-
Yun Emily Wang
-
lucrecciaquintanilla4010
-
Mack Hagood
-
madisonianmoore
-
magz hall
-
Maile Colbert
-
maramills
-
marcus3001
-
Maria Sonevytsky
-
maritjmac
-
markadavidson5
-
marlenriosh
-
marycaton
-
mattlaferty
-
mbrantner
-
mcenaney
-
mcmahonmr
-
John Melillo
-
Melle Kromhout
-
mhabellp
-
mhelquist
-
michellecommander
-
mikederrico
-
Milena
-
mlevine24
-
mseth2
-
kgoldschmitt
-
nabeelzuberi
-
napolinjb
-
Michelle M. Sauer
-
Nichole Rustin-Paschal
-
nicolefurlonge
-
nse
-
nkhverma
-
zeitkunst
-
nocoates
-
norieguthrie
-
Nick Mizer
-
obrienmurga
-
Erika
-
Owen Marshall
-
palmerlandon
-
Steven Hammer
-
pavitrasundar
-
Peter DiCola
-
Parker Fishel
-
pinkstoncb
-
pjaikumar
-
Lewis
-
primusluta
-
j.l. stoever
-
qiushixu
-
Robert Ford
-
rajnaswaminathan
-
Ronit Ghosh
-
rkheshti
-
rmjames
-
Regina N. Bradley
-
robertcryan
-
Roger Moseley
-
rsl318
-
ruichaves01
-
ruigomescosta
-
santaperversa
-
Sarah Kessler
-
sbahssin
-
sceraso
-
schedel
-
schizophone
-
sege22
-
shakiraholt
-
shannonkmooney
-
Shantam Goyal
-
shaynamsilverstein
-
Liana M. Silva
-
smayberryscott
-
snpinto
-
sonialidesigns
-
Sphinxy
-
ssepulve588
-
sshorowitz
-
ssmithsoundingout
-
Stuart
-
suhrhcmiamiohedu
-
svancour
-
svhinojos
-
Tara
-
tblake81
-
tedsammons
-
Benjamin Bean
-
theluisgarcia
-
Tim J. Anderson
-
timm750
-
travisgosa
-
trevorboffone
-
valdes23
-
Karen Tongson
-
vincentandrisani
-
Dr. O'C
-
Benjamin Wright
-
wsgershon
-
yessica07garcia
-
yhoward76
-
yvonbonenfant
-
zaf3
-
Carlo Patrão
Blogroll
- A Closer Listen
- A New Theater of Sound
- Acousmata
- Analog Tara
- Antenna
- Anthropology of Sound
- Aquarium Drunkard
- Aram Sinnreich's blog
- Audio Cookbook
- Binaural Diaries
- Binaural/Nodar
- Blackadelic Pop
- Blogging Ethnomusicologists
- Bodies|Sounds|Technologies
- British Library's Sound Recordings
- Bully Bloggers
- Captivating Sound
- Create Digital Music
- Cultural Organology
- Designing Sound
- Diary of a Bad Housewife (Alice Bag)
- Disquiet
- Dr. Guy's MusiQologY
- Ear Room
- Ear to the Ground
- Electra
- European Sound Studies Association
- Everyday Listening
- Fembot
- Feminist Music Geek
- Filmsound.org
- First Sounds
- Girrlsound
- Greg Goodale
- HASTAC Sound Forum
- Hear is Queer
- Her Beats
- Her Noise Archive
- I have synth
- IASPM-US
- Interference
- Journal of Sonic Studies
- Kathleen (Hanna)'s Blog
- Klangschreiber
- Land Recorder
- Listen Party
- Listening 440 (Josh kun)
- London Sound Survey
- Lubricity (Alex W. Rodriguez)
- Luz Maria Sanchez
- Mactrasound (Mack Hagood)
- Mediateletipos
- Mobile Sound
- Mudd Up! (DJ Rupture)
- Museum of Endangered Sounds
- New Black Man (Mark Anthony Neal)
- New York Society for Acoustic Ecology
- noise for airports
- Now Hear This
- Phonographies
- Phonozoic
- Pink Noises
- Preservation Sound
- Radiolab
- ROBOPROF.ORG (Kembrew McLeod)
- SAIC Department of Sound Blog
- Scoping UK Sound Studies
- Scott Topics (Scott Poulson Bryant)
- Sensate
- Sense and the City
- Sensory Studies
- Social Sound Design
- Sociosound
- Sonic Terrain
- Soul Sides
- Sound + Design
- Sound and Music
- Sound Art Text
- Sound Clash
- Sound Effects
- Sound in Media Culture
- Sound is Art
- Sound Studies Lab
- Sound/Unsound
- Soundcities
- Soundlandscapes
- Sounds Like Noise
- Sounds Like Staten Island
- Spooky and the Metronome
- sterneworks.org
- Super Bon! (Jonathan Sterne)
- Televisual
- The Ardent Audience
- The Big City
- The Field Reporter
- The Foley Diaries
- The Incredible Kaleidophone
- The Music of Sound
- The Soundscape
- The Theater of the Mind
- Turbulence
- Video Game Audio
- Wayne and Wax
- Weird Vibrations
- Women's Audio Mission
- World Listening Project
- Zsonics
Trackbacks / Pingbacks