A gift of broadcast journalist and Syracuse alumnus Ted Koppel in 2012, the primarily videotape-based collection contains over 7,000 digitized objects, including a complete run of the nightly news program Nightline from 1980 to 2005, during Koppel’s tenure as anchor. The collection also contains final broadcasts of other news programs and documentaries produced and anchored by Ted Koppel, as well as hundreds of hours of unedited interviews, original field footage, and program outtakes.

Due to copyright restrictions, researcher access to the Nightline episodes is limited to verified affiliates of Syracuse University. The remaining videos are available only to users on computers with hard-wired connections in Bird Library on the Syracuse University campus. Nevertheless, the digital objects are enhanced with robust descriptive metadata detailing program participants and topics of discussion which are open and designed for scholarly and educational use. This primary source historical collection spans the terms of six U.S. Presidents and provides in-depth coverage of many of the most important events of the latter part of the 20th century.