Bell Media announced Monday it is digitizing its national archive of more than 300,000 tapes to preserve decades of news, music and sports history and is making YouTube the primary home for the content.
Representing 255,000 hours of content dating back to the early 1960s, the Bell Media archive spans an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 physical tapes. Bell Media said in a press release it will convert more than 100,000 tapes by the end of 2026, preserving and reactivating legacy content for modern audiences.
“This ‘hidden history’ is being unlocked using Google’s Gemini models, to generate metadata which allows Bell Media to instantly search and categorize thousands of hours of footage, turning a static warehouse into a searchable global resource,” Bell Media’s press release reads. “Bell Media is also evaluating AI-enabled partnerships to support automated clipping and publishing, accelerating how preserved content is surfaced and shared globally.”
Launched as a “digital time machine,” MuchRewind is a YouTube channel that brings high-definition, raw interviews from MuchMusic’s golden era back to the public, Bell Media said. Music fans can rediscover candid moments with icons like Celine Dion, Madonna, Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Eminem and the late Aaliyah, in a quality that surpasses the original broadcasts.
The extensive archive of newsmagazine W5 is being introduced to global audiences for the first time through dedicated YouTube hubs. In addition, Etalk will be making its 25-year archive available on its YouTube channel.
The Bell Media archive is also supporting external documentaries, including an upcoming HBO project by Questlove and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, “providing the world with a window into Canada’s unique media heritage,” Bell Media said.
Photo of Celine Dion being interviewed by Jana Lynne White on MuchMoreMusic’s SpeakEasy program, via Bell Media
