Bell Media has announced it’s planning to make its extensive media archive available on YouTube, with the help of AI.
Spanning an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 physical tapes that date back to the early 1960s, Bell Media says it’s undertaking “a large-scale digitization effort” that will see more than 100,000 tapes converted by the end of this year, “preserving and reactivating legacy content for modern audiences.”
The network credits Google’s Gemini AI models with helping generate metadata allowing it to instantly search and categorize thousands of hours of footage. Bell said it’s also evaluating other AI-enabled partnerships to support automated clipping and publishing, accelerating how preserved content is surfaced and shared globally.
Among the curated offerings it plans to launch on YouTube are:
- MuchRewind: a “digital time machine” featuring candid moments with stars like Madonna,Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Eminem, and the late Aaliyah, in HD quality surpassing that of the original broadcasts.
- Legacy Revived: which sees long-running CTV newsmagazine W5 made available via dedicated YouTube hubs. Etalk will also make its 25-year archive available on its YouTube channel.
- Cultural Restoration: Beyond entertainment, the archive will also support external documentaries, including an upcoming HBO project by Questlove and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
“As part of a digital distribution strategy, we are leveraging platforms such as YouTube to extend reach and accessibility, ensuring our content meets audiences where they are,” said Dave Daigle, Vice President, Local TV, iHeartRadio & Bell Media Studios. “Our archive is one of our greatest assets, and by investing in the technology and vision to unlock it, we’re preserving Canadian history.”
“YouTube is the world’s stage, and we are proud to support Bell Media in bringing these iconic Canadian stories out of the vault and onto a global platform,” added Stephanie Wilson Chapin, Lead of TV, Sports and News at YouTube Canada. “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.”
