Collection: Karen Leggett WMAL audio tapes

Karen Leggett's WMAL tapes represent a portion of local radio history and the legacy of women in American broadcasting. These tapes show regional news and education reports from 1976-1994. Leggett worked as a news reporter, broadcaster and newsmagazine host at WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C. from 1976-1993. During her years at WMAL Radio, she covered major events and feature stories. This collection includes audio tapes documenting Leggett's contributions to WMAL, a Washington, DC-based radio station in operation since 1925.

Dates

1976--1994

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

This collection contains audiovisual materials. Items that cannot be used in the Special Collections reading room or are too fragile for researchers require that a digital copy be made prior to use. If you would like to access these materials, please contact us prior to your visit, so we may determine the proper steps to be taken.

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Extent

.75 Linear Feet (1 Hollinger box and 1 flat Hollinger cassette box)

16 Sound Cassettes (cassette cases) : audio cassettes ; 4.25 x 2.75"

6 Tape Reels (tape reel boxes) : audio reels ; 7"

Additional Description

Content Description

Karen Leggett worked as a news reporter, broadcaster and newsmagazine host at WMAL Radio in Washington, DC from 1976-1993. These tapes document stories she covered during her years at WMAL Radio. Leggett covered major events and feature stories such as national elections, political conventions and inaugurations, the National Women’s Convention in Houston (1977), the Iran hostage crisis and its aftermath in Washington, and the Olympic torch relay to Lake Placid (1980). This collection consists of audio cassettes and reels of Leggett's reporting, including the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Olympic Torch run from Yorktown, PA to Lake Placid, NY, the inauguration of President Clinton in 1993, and other featured and special reports.

Biographical / Historical

Karen Leggett worked as a news reporter, broadcaster and newsmagazine host at WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C. from 1976-1993. During her years at WMAL Radio, she covered major events and feature stories such as national elections, political conventions and inaugurations, the National Women’s Convention in Houston (1977), the Iran hostage crisis and its aftermath in Washington, and the Olympic torch relay to Lake Placid (1980). Her award-winning education reports included a long-running feature on how to pay for college. She won numerous awards from the Maryland State Teachers Association and the Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters.

WMAL is a commercial AM news/talk radio station licensed to Washington, DC and serving the Washington metro area. It is one of the oldest radio stations in the Washington media market, continuously on the air from 1925. During Leggett's years at WMAL, the station underwent multiple changes in ownership and leadership. The WMAL studio relocated from the Washington, DC suburbs to Washington, DC in 1973 shortly before Leggett's tenure at the station.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by format and date of creation.

Custodial History

Karen Leggett donated her WMAL audio tapes to the University of Maryland Libraries on June 25, 2018.

Processing Information

This collection has been minimally processed. Aside from some rough groupings of similar material, the collection came to the Libraries in no particular order. Materials have been arranged chronologically and grouped by format. The entire collection was re-boxed into archival containers.

Administrative Information

Title: Guide to the Karen Leggett WMAL audio tapes
Status: Completed
Author: Processed by Jen Wachtel
Date: 2018-8-01
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: Finding aid written in English

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

http://www.lib.umd.edu/special

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212
askhornbake@umd.edu

Karen Leggett WMAL audio tapes

Dates

Conditions Governing Access

Conditions Governing Use

Extent

Additional Description

Content Description

Biographical / Historical

Arrangement

Custodial History

Processing Information

Administrative Information

Library Details

Library Details

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