Preserving and Providing Access to Baltimore Television News Station (WMAR), 1984–1993

In 2024, the University of Baltimore’s Special Collections and Archives received its second Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library & Information Resources (CLIR) to continue the digitization of the WMAR-TV Collection, Maryland’s oldest TV news station. This grant supported Phase Two of our preservation efforts, following the successful digitization of 965 U-matic tapes from 1980–1985 in Cycle 8 of the same grant program.

This time, our goal was to digitize 962 additional U-matic and VHS tapes dating from 1984 to 1993. I'm happy to share that we successfully digitized 955 tapes, resulting in over 1,299 hours of rare and regionally significant news footage now freely accessible through the Internet Archive and linked in our ArchivesSpace database. 

Although this was originally planned as a one-year project, we’re proud to have completed the work several months ahead of schedule.

The WMAR-TV Collection documents critical historical, social, and cultural shifts in Baltimore and Maryland during the late 20th century. Some of the most compelling footage from this phase includes:

• The AIDS crisis and the local response, including the work of HERO and Chase Brexton Health Center.
• The rise of the Black Arts Movement and cultural icons like Tupac Shakur, who attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.
• The 1987 election of Kurt Schmoke, Baltimore’s first elected Black mayor.
• The construction of Camden Yards and Baltimore’s efforts to revitalize its urban core.
• The rise of the prison-industrial complex and its impact on Baltimore’s communities.

Each tape was carefully handled and digitized by our partners at Memnon, with preservation master files, access copies, and closed-captioned versions created for long-term use and accessibility. 

Public access is a core element of our mission. That’s why all digitized content is streamable for free and can be cited or used for educational and research purposes. We're proud to contribute to Baltimore’s collective memory and provide valuable primary sources for researchers, educators, students, and documentarians.

This project would not have been possible without the support of the University of Baltimore Foundation, CLIR, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and my dedicated colleagues at Special Collections & Archives and Sponsored Research. Special thanks to Aiden Faust, Associate Director of Special Collections and Archives and Margarita M. Cardona, Assistant Provost for Sponsored Research who helped and supported this project.

Want to explore the collection?
Visit the WMAR-TV section on Internet Archive or view the ArchivesSpace record for metadata and context.
Need help navigating the footage?
Check out our video tutorial on LibGuides for step-by-step instructions.