A Media-Historical Analysis of Denmark’s Week 46 Initiative

This article examines the historical development and archival value of Denmark’s week 46 initiative - a selective legal deposit scheme for local radio and television broadcasting running since 1988. By tracing the transition from analog tape recordings to digital practices such as streaming, uploads, and web harvesting, the study analyzes how evolving technologies and institutional strategies shape what is preserved and how. Drawing on internal documentation, metadata analysis, and interviews with staff, we explore challenges in representation, metadata quality, and long-term accessibility. Week 46 offers a unique longitudinal dataset that captures shifts in media
policy, production, and distribution, serving as a valuable historical resource. We argue that understanding the provenance, scope, and limitations of such collections is crucial for interpreting media history and cultural memory. The findings highlight the importance of methodological reflexivity and cross-institutional collaboration in maintaining robust broadcast archives in the
digital age.