The British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) has agreed to donate to the Israel State Archives tapes and microfilmed scripts of its short-wave Hebrew Service broadcasts which were terminated on Oct. 27 after 19 years. Arrangements were discussed during the recent visit of Dr. Alex Bein, archives director, who met with BBC officials. Material is now being selected on the basis of its historical importance. Erwin Bienenstock, former head of the BBC’s Hebrew Service, is selecting scripts that relate to Anglo-Israeli relations and Angio-Jewish affairs.
The BBC’s half-hour Hebrew broadcasts were ended by order of the Foreign Office, which cited economic reasons for its action. The move aroused a storm of protest here and abroad. Some quarters and several newspapers charged that the suspension was politically motivated and that the Foreign Office had bowed to Arab pressure.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
