BCN archives digitised; a valuable taoga for Niue

Two hundred and fifty (250) tapes and video cassettes from BCN archives from of video tapes over four decades have been digitized and this morning a small handover was held at the BCN office. General Manager and the man behind the camera for many of the archived footage, Trevor Tiakia said he is very grateful that these archives are now restored into digital format. Tiakia acknowledged the support from the NZ government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pacific Corperation Broadcasting Ltd (PCBL) for funding the digitization process.

NZ High Commissioner to Niue H.E Mark Gibb said he is pleased that valuable archives footage of Niue are now restored and he hopes that the materials will be shared for everyone on Niue to see.

Trevor Tiakia acknowledged the support of the department of Taoga Niue and the former director Moira Enetama. When the BCN studios were destroyed by fire in May 2020, the archives were damaged by smoke and dust. Mrs Moira Enetama and her team were the first to reach out to BCN to help, relocate, store and protect the valuable archives until the tapes were taken to New Zealand for digitization. Tiakia also acknowledged the new director of Taoga Niue Moka Laufoli and the work of safe-keeping valuable Niuean taoga like these tapes.

Peter Fraser from PCBL in New Zealand said that they are very pleased to be able to help restore BCN tapes and archives, and preserving the valuable record of Niues history over the past 40 odd years.

The digitized archives collection of footage were handed over by the NZ High Commissioner Mark Gibb to the chairperson of the BCN Board Rev. Scanland Mitiepo, who also blessed the event and the new digitized archives.

Trevor Tiakia said that there are about eight hundred tapes still to be digitised but BCN does not have the funds to undertake that exercise right now, hoping that additional donor assistance will help digitise the remaining tapes in BCN archives.