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WPBA Southern Bases documents

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS1220

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the WPBA television program Southern Bases which focused on baseball in the south, particulary the integration of Major League Baseball in the 1940s. Documents include periodicals, such as magazines, annuals, articles, and newsletters, as well as articles collected for research. Of particular note are oral history transcripts conducted with retired and active Major League Baseball players. There are also two editions of Black Ball News that contain fan recollections of Negro Leagues Baseball.

Dates

  • 1917-1993, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Biographical / Historical

In 1958, the City of Atlanta Board of Education founded WETV, a National Publication Broadcasting television station for educational programing. Originally intended as a resource for the public school system, but it later evolved to include specialty programs, including for senior citizens and Spanish speakers, and board room meetings. WETV gained popularity as it started to televise local productions and more multicultural content. The Board of Education renamed the station to Public Broadcasting Atlanta (WPBA) in 1984 to better encapsulate the changes. In 1999, WPBA acquired the rights to the Atlanta Public School’s APS Cable channel, which televised instructional PBS Kids shows. In 2005, WPBA participated in the Program Differentiation Plan, which resulted in a reduced lineup of PBS shows and a decrease in broadcast programming. In January 2022, WPBA consolidated with WABE to become WABE-TV, which also includs websites, podcasts, and smartphone apps.

Extent

0.63 linear ft. (one document case and one half document case)

Language

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by titles supplied by staff.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Loan, 2015

Related Materials

Visual materials have been separated from the collection. Please contact an archivist for access to these materials.

Content Advisory

This collection contains original unedited versions of all content. Some material may contain depictions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There may be instances of racist language and depictions, particularly regarding African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record for the purpose of education and research. The viewpoints expressed in this collection do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers.

Bias in Description

As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information. We choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not accurately convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. In working with this collection, we often re-use language used by the former owners of the material. This language provides context but often includes bias and prejudices reflective of the time in which it was created. The Kenan Research Center’s work is ongoing to implement reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete.

Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or descriptions, please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2022.

Title
WPBA Southern Bases documents
Subtitle
ahc.MSS1220
Author
Brittney English
Date
May 2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

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Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040