Austin PBS digitizing all 50 seasons of ACL Live to celebrate 50th anniversary

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin PBS announced Wednesday it’s starting the process of digitizing all 50 seasons of Austin City Limits as part of a yearlong celebration of the show’s 50th anniversary. Over 250,000 photos will also be preserved in the process.

The preservation project is being done through a partnership between Austin PBS and Google Fiber, which is part of a beta test through GFiber Labs, allowing Austin PBS to upgrade to 20 Gig internet. A release about the project said it would have taken years to complete with slower connection speeds.

Austin PBS will archive 50 seasons of Austin City Limits video footage and a vast collection of photos and memorabilia.

Austin City Limits is a music performance television show that appears weekly on PBS, dating back to October 1974. It’s the longest-running music program in television history, according to its website.

The show has featured a range of musicians over its history, notably including Willie Nelson’s pilot episode taped in 1974, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1983 and 1989 appearances, and hundreds of other sets from legendary artists including Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Robert Plant, Coldplay, Foo Fighters and many more.

Recordings will be uploaded in their original quality and be available later for remastering and redistribution, according to the release.

In addition to Austin City Limits, historical Central Texas programming like “Carrascolendas,” “Central Texas Gardener,” “Decibel,” “Overheard with Evan Smith,” and “Taco Mafia” will also be digitally archived.

ACL Live’s 50th anniversary will be officially marked on Oct. 17, commemorating the inaugural taping featuring Willie Nelson on the same day in 1974.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.