NBC 5/KXAS (WBAP) Research FAQs
1. Has everything in the NBC 5/KXAS archive been digitized?
No. Reformatting all the media in the NBC 5/KXAS archive will be a multiyear process. To date, the majority of the footage in the collection is not digitized.
Digitized news segments, as well as text searchable broadcast scripts and story logbooks can be viewed for free in The Portal to Texas History digital library. New material is added frequently as we work through reformatting the collection.
2. What is in the NBC 5/KXAS Collection?
- 16 mm daily film reels of television broadcasts (April 1951 - August 1979)*
- Video recordings of television broadcasts (1976 - 2013)
- News scripts (1951 - 1979; March 1986; 1990)
- Daily film reports and story logbooks (1951 - 2013)
- Still photographs (1948 - 1977)
*The collection does not contain footage related to John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. If you are interested in licensing this footage, you will need to contact NBC Universal.
Finding Aids:
3. Where can I view your digitized footage?
You can search for footage in the NBC 5/KXAS digital collection in The Portal to Texas History.
4. I’m interested in footage that hasn’t been digitized. How do I submit a digitization request?
Please submit a Reproduction & Digitization Request.
Researchers interested in viewing materials that have yet to be digitally reformatted will be responsible for all costs incurred in digitization following Special Collections’ reproduction standards. Staff will make every effort to ensure that material of interest is digitized but we cannot guarantee that a reel or a tape will contain usable footage. If the digitized material is not as expected, digitization fees will not be refunded. Digitization fees are separate from those required to license footage. Researchers will be provided with a low-resolution access copy for viewing. Higher resolution files are available with licensing. Please note that each film reel and videotape contains multiple stories. Researchers are responsible for digitizing the entire item on which the desired footage is contained, not just the segment that interests them. In general, please allow at least a 2-3 week turnaround for digitization requests. We are not able to digitize most video formats on site; film will be sent to an off-site vendor. Please review our digitization rates.
5. Will you watch the reel or tape I’m interested in to confirm that it contains the footage I want before I request digitization?
Sorry, no. Our preservation policies do not allow us to view a reel or tape before digitizing it. Staff will make every effort to ensure that material of interest is digitized but we cannot guarantee that a reel or a tape will contain usable footage. If the digitized material is not as expected, digitization fees will not be refunded.
6. Does UNT have the right to license footage from the NBC 5/KXAS collection?
Yes. The University of North Texas Libraries holds the exclusive right to preserve, reformat, permanently store, and present the NBC 5/KXAS collection online. UNT Libraries acts as the licensing agent for all footage from this collection. UNT Libraries licenses footage for a wide variety of uses, including commercial and professional use. We require a 30 second minimum for world-wide, all media, in perpetuity rights. UNT Special Collections’ determines licensing fees based on a minimum clip length of 10 seconds per edited segment. This includes use in broadcast, multimedia, feature films, educational purposes, and exhibitions. Reuse of moving and still images from the NBC 5/KXAS Collection, including those found on the Portal to Texas History and UNT Digital Library, requires permission from Special Collections.
7. Does the digitization fee include the cost of licensing?
No. Licensing is a separate fee, determined on a case-by-case basis.
8. Do you license worldwide, all media, in perpetuity?
Yes, but we require a 30 second minimum.
9. Do you have a licensing rate sheet?
All requests for reuse and licensing are evaluated by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis. Our licensing fee is based on many factors including the number and length of clips requested, your intended use, the media platform you choose to purchase rights for, the desired digital delivery file format, and the licensing term requested. Our beginning licensing rate is $90 per second. Actual licensing fees will be determined by Special Collections staff upon review of your Request for Licensing Form. Discounts may be available for certain research and educational uses and some regional productions.
10. How do I submit a licensing request?
Please submit a Request to License Special Collections Materials form and Special Collections will contact you.
11. Who needs to submit a licensing request?
If you plan to use clips from the NBC 5/KXAS collection for purposes other than personal research — including projects that will be shown to the general public or used for commercial gain — you must obtain permission to license the material. Please submit a Request to License Special Collections Materials form and Special Collections will contact you.
12. Is there an additional fee to license footage of reporters on air or other “talent”?
No.