91Èȱ¬

We spoke to Zillah Watson and Paul Kerley about the project

Who was Alistair Cooke?

He was a British born journalist and broadcaster who was the 91Èȱ¬â€™s voice of America for over 60 years. His weekly Letter from America talks on American life, history and politics ran from 1946 till his death in 2004. Over 1800 editions were recently restored by the 91Èȱ¬ (including 600 recorded by listeners) are now available on the 91Èȱ¬ website.

What is the aim of this project?

To enable people to enjoy historic radio archive in new ways. We wanted to bring Cooke’s reports to today’s audiences by enhancing them with images and background information. And we wanted to join up the wealth of archive content available – including over 1800 Letter from America on the 91Èȱ¬ website, and the original scripts held by Boston University. And to display the links to this information when they are relevant to the story rather that list them at the bottom of the page.

How did you do that?

By using technology made by a company called Touchcast we were able to enhance an audio slide show with relevant and timely links. Though the possibilities for links were endless, we found that less is more. Too many links interfered with Cooke’s beautifully crafted prose. So in the end we opted for a highly curated list of links.

What does it add to archive radio?

Archive needs to be put in context to tell stories to new audiences. This Touchcast enriches the audio with images and links enabling people to understand more about Alistair Cooke and the extraordinary events he describes. And as you watch it, you have control over which journey of discovery you wish to take.

What historic moments are included?

Alistair Cooke reported on some of the most iconic moments in American history - we’ve taken excerpts from some of his most famous reports here on the assassinations of JFK and Bobby Kennedy, and the Watergate scandal. If you want to explore more of his programmes, you’ll find them on the 91Èȱ¬ Website

What does the interactivity add?

The links are highly curated series of links providing further information and onward journeys. This allows people to create their own experience, based on their own interests, knowledge and passions.