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Five more TV programs from the WOUB archive have been digitized and uploaded to the PBS App for free streaming
< < Back toIncluded are 36 episodes of Merlin the Magician
ATHENS, OH – Episodes of five historic WOUB TV series are now available for streaming on the free PBS App. The programs from the WOUB archive include two documentaries, a teen dance show, an educational series on government, and 36 episodes of a nationally syndicated children’s show.
“We are so excited to be able to share these programs with the community for free on the PBS App,” said WOUB General Manager Mark Brewer. “We know the programs mean a lot to so many people in our region.”
Some of the shows were produced in the 1960s and were originally recorded on two-inch quadruplex videotape. The others were on a variety of tape formats that were popular at the time. All had to be digitized to be uploaded.
“The WOUB Archive Room contains a variety of media, each saved on the preferred format at the time they were recorded,” said Digital Broadcast Archivist Kaycee Warren. “As time passes, viewing the oldest formats require obsolete machinery. We send these formats to be restored and digitized. The film and quad tapes are deteriorating, and we are working quickly to save the content.”
Merlin the Magician (episodic series) was produced by WOUB and premiered in 1964. It appeared on more than 70 television stations across the nation. 36 episodes are available for streaming. The show’s host was Bob Faulkner. Joe Berman, a longtime Ohio University professor, was the producer and director.
Opening the Door West: The Story of the Ohio Company of Associates (documentary) is the story of how the Ohio Company organized the first American settlement in the Northwest Territory, perhaps the most important unknown chapter in American history.
Passion Works: A Story of Flying (documentary) tells the early story of a thriving arts studio designed around the talents of artists with developmental disabilities. Told through heartwarming stories and eye-popping art, the film reveals how an active community arts program can inspire, transform and even transport people to new passions and new places.
Take Me to Your Leaders (episodic series) is a six-episode educational interactive series on Ohio government. Each episode explores the roles of different government leaders at the state, county and school district levels.
Teen Beat (episodic series) was a 1960s live Bandstand type show produced at WOUB that won a national Broadcast Media Award. There are three episodes uploaded for streaming.
You can watch any of these programs now by downloading the free PBS App or visiting pbs.org.