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History and Holdings

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Written Archives Centre is part of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Archives, one of the largest broadcast archives in the world. The records were originally held in the Historical Records Office, which was set up in London in 1957. In 1970 the Written Archives Centre was established and the Corporation's records were transferred to Caversham, Reading.

Our holdings include over 250,000 files of correspondence and 21,000 reels of microfilm, which together with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ publications, plans, posters and other records, constitute the working papers gathered from all parts of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ from 1922 onwards.

We do not hold and cannot supply recordings or information about current television or radio programmes. We only hold archival documents. For more information about current programmes see .

Aims and Purpose

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Written Archives Centre gathers together, preserves and maintains the written records of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. Archive staff make them available to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ itself as part of its work, and to the public, as part of its charter obligations and accountability.

The Agreement with the Secretary of State sits alongside the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Charter. It provides details on many of the topics outlined in the Charter and also covers the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's funding and its regulatory duties. The Agreement is an important constitutional document because together with the Charter, it establishes the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's independence from the government.

Maintaining the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's archives is written into the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Agreement with the Secretary of State as follows:

69. Archive (1) The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ must make arrangements for the maintenance of an archive, or archives, of films, sound recordings, other recorded material and printed material which is representative of the sound and television programmes and films broadcast or otherwise distributed by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. (2) Those arrangements- (a) must ensure that every such archive is kept safely, to commonly accepted standards; and (b) must give the public reasonable opportunities to visit the archives and view or listen to material kept there, with or without charge (as the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ thinks fit).

For more information on the arrangements for maintaining archives and how the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Written Archives Centre is funded see the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s 

For more information on how the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ manages its records, see the