The South Carolina Broadcasting Association Archives documents the history of broadcasting in South Carolina by collecting and interpreting photographs, papers, videos, film and knowledge of the development of radio and TV, entertainment, and community activities in the state.  The collection includes personal papers of industry leaders, original broadcasts and scripts, equipment, a music library, and South Carolina Broadcasters Association.  The SCBA Archives invities researchers interested in broadcasting history to make use of the collection and welcome donations of material or oral hstory information

SCBA 60th Anniversary History Project
1948-2008

In recognition of its anniversary, the Association engaged in a very special project to honor its rich history and tradition.   In 2006, SCBA launched a history project, and during the past two and a half years, collected historical broadcast material from around the state.  The collection includes recordings of classic programs, taped histories of stations, vintage photos, interviews with dozens of industry pioneers, and more.  All material is available for reference at the SC Broadcast Archives housed at the McKissick Museum on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia.   Haney Howell, Associate Professor of Mass Communication at Winthrop University, managed the project and prepared an overview of South Carolina broadcast history, which is available on the SCBA website at www.scba.net/history.htm

Collecting material for the Broadcast Archives and updating the state’s broadcast history overview is an ongoing project.  SCBA welcomes contributions from its members and others with an interest in broadcast history in South Carolina.  If you have material to contribute, please contact Professor Howell at howellh@winthrop.edu or contact the SCBA office at 803-732-1186 or scba@scba.net.

Another important initiative of the SCBA Historical Development Committee is the digital conversion project.  Graduate student archivists at McKissick have recently completed transfer of all historic audio material to digital format, to assure that none of the priceless vintage audio is lost.  Conversion of the older video material on file will be addressed in the next phase of the project.

The preservation of South Carolina broadcast history is a key priority for the SCBA and the Association is proud to have such a comprehensive archive available for use by broadcast educators, industry researchers and other interested parties.  During its 60th anniversary, SCBA extended special appreciation to Wally Mullinax, who has served as long-term chairman of the SCBA Historical Development Committee.  Wally was at the center of the effort to establish the SCBA Broadcast Archives over thirty years ago, and his leadership has been essential to its development through the years, and to the success of these recent archive projects.  His passion for our industry and his dedication to preserving its history inspires us all.

Funding for the archives has been established by the SCBA Educational Foundation