Bell Media and YouTube have launched a massive project to digitize up to 400,000 physical tapes, bringing over 60 years of Canadian news, music, and cultural history to the internet. The initiative will use Google’s Gemini AI models to organize and search the footage, which dates back to the early 1960s.
The archive includes a vast collection of raw interviews from MuchMusic and investigative reports from the newsmagazine W5. By the end of 2026, the team expects to have converted more than 100,000 tapes into digital formats, which is just a quarter of the tapes available.
To make the content accessible, Bell Media is launching specialized YouTube channels like MuchRewind, which features high-definition interviews with stars like Madonna, Eminem, and Britney Spears. The footage is also being used to support global documentaries, including an upcoming HBO project by Questlove.
“Our archive is one of our greatest assets, and by investing in the technology and vision to unlock it, we’re preserving Canadian history,” said Dave Daigle, Vice President at Bell Media.
The partnership aims to ensure these stories are available to a global audience rather than sitting in a warehouse. Stephanie Wilson Chapin, Lead of Film, TV, Sports and News at YouTube Canada, noted that the platform is proud to help bring these stories “out of the vault and onto a global platform.”
“By preserving this content digitally, we’re ensuring that Canadian creativity continues to inspire and reach new audiences across the globe for years to come,” Chapin added on Monday.
For anyone who’s been reminiscing about Electric Circus on Friday nights, this might be the throwback you’ve been waiting for.
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