Changes to the BBC’s Written Archives Centre threaten open research – and might infringe on the broadcaster’s charter

By John Wyver, Professor of the Arts on Screen, University of Westminster

The BBC’s Written Archives Centre (WAC) is housed in an unassuming bungalow on the outskirts of Reading, 40 miles west of London. It holds one of the greatest document collections of British and global history from the past century.

For half that time, researchers, storytellers and interested members of the public were able to mine its extensive resources for monographs, dissertations and broadcasts relating to the BBC. Recent changes to the conditions of access, however, mean that independent and exploratory…

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