NBC5 reporter Brad Wright traveled to El Paso,Texas on January 4, 1981 to report on President-elect Ronald Reagan’s meeting with Mexico President Jose Lopez Portilla. This segment was digitized from the original 3/4 inch analog source tape, and shows many examples of tape degradation which interfere with the both the picture and sound quality. Footage recorded onto 3/4 tape, also called “U-matic” tape, often displays significant degradation, and is a major preservation priority for archivists and librarians.Although this footage is severely compromised, it was able to be saved before a total loss.

[News Clip: Reagan/ Portilla] on The Portal to Texas History.