PBS Loses 70 Years of TV Archive After Cloud Vendor Fails

Nine PBS, the public‑TV network that archives decades of programming, has lost access to roughly 70 years of digital content after its cloud‑storage partner, a now‑defunct vendor, ceased operations. The network’s data, stored in the cloud, included historic broadcasts, educational material and archival footage that had been migrated from older physical media. With the vendor’s shutdown, the network can no longer retrieve the files, prompting an urgent search for a new hosting solution.

In response, Nine PBS has filed a lawsuit against Iron Mountain Data Center, the facility that currently houses the network’s archival material. The suit seeks to secure the preservation of the lost content and to compel Iron Mountain to provide access and recovery services. The case highlights the risks public‑media organizations face when relying on third‑party cloud providers for long‑term data storage. The outcome will likely influence how public‑TV archives manage and safeguard their digital heritage.