In memory of Anyah, Richard Ugochukwu
Research Interests:
Liberian History, Television and Broadcasting, Collective Memory, Archives, Decolonial Histories
Geographical Area:
Liberia
Current Project:
Broadcasting in Liberia: Narratives of the Past and Present
When it came to power in 1980, Liberian President Samuel Doe’s People’s Redemption Council (PRC) would re-establish Liberia’s only television broadcaster, the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), and mandated that it extended television services to the whole of Liberia. As a result more Liberians in the hinterland in theory could have access to television which up until that point was limited to the capital Monrovia, and a few coastal Liberian cities. Television allowed Liberians to view events as they unfolded, but also to produce historical contents and to keep records of these in tapes. A large number of the tapes survived the years of war 1989 -1997 and from 1999- 2004, as well as the highly humid Liberian climate). These records now provide a unique source base for studies of Liberia history as reflected in broadcast television from the 1980s. Certain programmes of historical importance, whether fictional or non-fictional would be exhibited to see if these programmes continue to align with collective memories today following the realities of two brutal civil wars. The aim here is to create new paradigms for understanding history that merge scientific rigour with popular narratives. The potential achievements include bringing common voices into the archives, as well as the archaeological value of re-viewing tapes no one else has seen in decades.