The TV News Visual Explorer now encompasses selections from 108 channels spanning 50 countries and territories in 35 languages and dialects over 20 years on 5 continents in collaboration with the Internet Archive's Television News Archive. For each broadcast, the Visual Explorer makes it "skimmable" by extracting one frame every 4 seconds at a fixed interval to represent the broadcast. These images are arrayed into a thumbnail grid in the Visual Explorer web interface. To enable at-scale non-consumptive visual analysis, each broadcast also makes available a ZIP file containing the full-resolution version of the images that make up the thumbnail grid, creating "ngrams for television news."
Every day we steadily load more and more of the Archive into the Visual Explorer, reaching 1.5 million broadcasts last month. As of today there are now 3.5 million broadcasts accessible in the Visual Explorer totaling 7.7 billion seconds of airtime (128.7 million minutes / 2.15 million hours). In all, the non-consumptive ZIP files now contain 1.93 billion images totaling 679.7 trillion pixels spanning 50 countries over portions of 20 years, yielding what is perhaps the richest non-consumptive analyzable archive of television news ever created.
For instructions on how to work with this vast archive, see last week's post on at-scale face detection for how to work with the underlying Visual Explorer inventory files.
We are immensely excited about the fundamentally new kinds of analyses never before imagined that become possible with this new collection!
You can see a per-channel breakdown in the table updated to late this afternoon below. Remember that this table represents just a snapshot in time, with the Visual Explorer continuing to grow both forward with the channels being actively monitored, and historically as we continue to load the Archive's historical backfile into it! So, these numbers will continue to grow!
| Channel | Shows | Airtime (sec) | Frames | Pixels |
| 1TV | 5,080 | 16,397,216 | 4,099,304 | 3,776,976,459,808 |
| ALALAM | 17,559 | 32,159,000 | 8,039,750 | 2,469,811,200,000 |
| ALETEJAHTV | 11,366 | 28,122,604 | 7,030,651 | 2,159,815,987,200 |
| ALFAYHAA | 21,685 | 38,666,728 | 9,666,682 | 2,730,301,363,200 |
| ALFORAT | 1 | 1,808 | 452 | 138,854,400 |
| ALIRAQUIA | 146,826 | 275,697,672 | 68,924,418 | 21,155,299,714,088 |
| ALJAZ | 41,690 | 90,388,696 | 22,597,174 | 15,273,673,235,736 |
| ALMAGHRIBIA | 121,783 | 228,585,956 | 57,146,489 | 18,186,360,041,640 |
| ANT1 | 189 | 335,752 | 83,938 | 25,785,753,600 |
| ARD | 2,074 | 3,726,740 | 931,685 | 214,660,224,000 |
| ARTEDE | 2,075 | 3,751,756 | 937,939 | 216,101,145,600 |
| AZT | 1 | 1,804 | 451 | 138,547,200 |
| AZTV | 37,914 | 100,203,088 | 25,050,772 | 6,805,195,392,000 |
| BBCARABIC | 1 | 2,484 | 621 | 190,771,200 |
| BBCNEWS | 102,925 | 251,409,408 | 62,852,352 | 22,165,758,842,016 |
| BELARUSTV | 3,665 | 6,802,100 | 1,700,525 | 1,283,098,980,204 |
| BLOOMBERG | 10,871 | 43,844,224 | 10,961,056 | 7,215,771,839,064 |
| CANALALGERIE | 38,881 | 83,235,912 | 20,808,978 | 6,463,591,596,356 |
| CCTV3 | 364 | 647,216 | 161,804 | 49,706,188,800 |
| CCTV4 | 15,017 | 27,003,044 | 6,750,761 | 2,073,833,779,200 |
| CCTV9 | 33,391 | 59,808,188 | 14,952,047 | 4,593,268,838,400 |
| CCTVNEWS | 7,208 | 12,947,784 | 3,236,946 | 994,389,811,200 |
| CNBC | 9,518 | 43,207,112 | 10,801,778 | 7,249,679,850,248 |
| CNN | 9,725 | 44,728,344 | 11,182,086 | 3,435,136,819,200 |
| CNNW | 91,236 | 360,686,256 | 90,171,564 | 33,603,366,785,240 |
| CUBA | 31,833 | 57,078,452 | 14,269,613 | 4,383,625,113,600 |
| DUBAI | 1 | 3,588 | 897 | 275,558,400 |
| DW | 49,428 | 76,418,532 | 19,104,633 | 9,678,735,532,800 |
| ESC1 | 14,933 | 26,714,388 | 6,678,597 | 1,887,409,843,200 |
| ESPRESO | 8,312 | 15,336,160 | 3,834,040 | 3,515,027,364,192 |
| ETV | 81,778 | 169,258,936 | 42,314,734 | 12,991,379,635,200 |
| FBC | 10,691 | 46,114,180 | 11,528,545 | 7,236,111,957,536 |
| FOXNEWS | 13,439 | 56,810,216 | 14,202,554 | 4,363,024,588,800 |
| FOXNEWSW | 83,400 | 356,167,924 | 89,041,981 | 32,624,849,978,736 |
| FRANCE24 | 47,782 | 86,023,004 | 21,505,751 | 5,421,895,910,400 |
| FUTURE | 1 | 3,600 | 900 | 276,480,000 |
| GALA | 51 | 191,076 | 47,769 | 14,674,636,800 |
| IRAQ | 409 | 732,136 | 183,034 | 56,228,044,800 |
| IRIB2 | 46,734 | 85,619,112 | 21,404,778 | 6,565,210,208,880 |
| IRINN | 56,358 | 104,112,204 | 26,028,051 | 7,984,967,496,480 |
| JAMAHIRYA | 691 | 1,232,180 | 308,045 | 94,631,424,000 |
| JORDANTV | 47,104 | 89,488,252 | 22,372,063 | 6,875,020,039,040 |
| KBSWORLD | 4,149 | 11,560,332 | 2,890,083 | 887,833,497,600 |
| KDTV | 6,514 | 21,563,588 | 5,390,897 | 3,727,770,021,520 |
| KGO | 6,296 | 14,090,764 | 3,522,691 | 2,080,287,660,720 |
| KNTV | 6,502 | 14,414,172 | 3,603,543 | 2,199,279,589,832 |
| KPIX | 6,412 | 13,352,772 | 3,338,193 | 1,890,892,010,640 |
| KQED | 14,351 | 38,249,488 | 9,562,372 | 2,833,363,425,600 |
| KRON | 3,648 | 11,560,236 | 2,890,059 | 909,614,175,960 |
| KSTS | 7,212 | 17,017,260 | 4,254,315 | 2,661,071,035,752 |
| KTVU | 3,988 | 15,205,684 | 3,801,421 | 3,167,457,876,936 |
| KURDSAT | 49,551 | 90,031,424 | 22,507,856 | 6,904,899,916,800 |
| KUWAIT | 31,101 | 55,549,604 | 13,887,401 | 4,266,209,587,200 |
| LIBYA | 9,955 | 17,784,932 | 4,446,233 | 1,365,882,777,600 |
| M2MOROCCO | 45,727 | 106,098,252 | 26,524,563 | 8,138,875,796,160 |
| MBC | 1 | 3,600 | 900 | 276,480,000 |
| MKTV | 2,899 | 5,230,864 | 1,307,716 | 401,730,355,200 |
| MSNBC | 11,516 | 41,605,940 | 10,401,485 | 3,195,336,192,000 |
| MSNBCW | 88,872 | 354,219,452 | 88,554,863 | 33,036,427,063,424 |
| NDTV | 1 | 1,800 | 450 | 138,240,000 |
| NEWTV | 1 | 3,476 | 869 | 266,956,800 |
| NTA | 128,432 | 258,100,512 | 64,525,128 | 19,742,973,030,656 |
| NTV | 6,176 | 17,026,356 | 4,256,589 | 3,189,839,343,840 |
| OMAN | 134,504 | 288,077,772 | 72,019,443 | 22,105,377,079,408 |
| ORTM | 118,031 | 217,605,276 | 54,401,319 | 16,704,645,011,520 |
| PALESTINETV | 19,881 | 37,063,464 | 9,265,866 | 2,900,163,796,872 |
| PRESSTV | 2 | 5,516 | 1,379 | 423,628,800 |
| PSC | 119,451 | 263,649,464 | 65,912,366 | 20,169,171,350,088 |
| QATARTV | 124,671 | 256,102,744 | 64,025,686 | 16,569,979,605,432 |
| RAI | 82 | 224,352 | 56,088 | 17,230,233,600 |
| RAI1 | 1,751 | 3,825,204 | 956,301 | 235,572,096,000 |
| RAINEWS | 1,780 | 3,914,632 | 978,658 | 225,482,803,200 |
| RT | 46,793 | 87,587,952 | 21,896,988 | 15,067,207,056,896 |
| RTPI | 51,363 | 113,899,940 | 28,474,985 | 8,794,544,547,360 |
| RTSDIASPORA | 9,623 | 17,735,208 | 4,433,802 | 1,362,063,974,400 |
| RTSSAT | 100,602 | 186,229,940 | 46,557,485 | 13,826,349,710,520 |
| RUSSIA1 | 5,191 | 16,160,548 | 4,040,137 | 3,260,196,761,120 |
| RUSSIA24 | 7,532 | 13,905,428 | 3,476,357 | 2,066,344,291,104 |
| SAMAYEAZADI | 46,041 | 109,929,324 | 27,482,331 | 7,875,188,337,600 |
| SAUDI | 87,328 | 173,313,948 | 43,328,487 | 13,302,838,886,400 |
| SCOLA | 1 | 120 | 30 | 9,216,000 |
| SCOLA2 | 1 | 3,232 | 808 | 248,217,600 |
| SCOLA3 | 1 | 1,732 | 433 | 133,017,600 |
| SCOLA5 | 1 | 1,840 | 460 | 141,312,000 |
| SHARJAHTV | 48,145 | 89,605,832 | 22,401,458 | 6,905,221,053,108 |
| SKY | 57,331 | 109,977,876 | 27,494,469 | 6,335,116,185,600 |
| SOUTHERNSUDAN | 48,159 | 89,596,916 | 22,399,229 | 6,946,837,521,576 |
| SUDAN | 30,140 | 56,131,132 | 14,032,783 | 4,324,104,969,680 |
| SVT1 | 19,940 | 35,826,816 | 8,956,704 | 2,083,277,030,400 |
| SYRIANTV | 38,697 | 100,667,356 | 25,166,839 | 7,330,853,222,400 |
| TELECONGO | 48,095 | 89,439,200 | 22,359,800 | 6,868,930,560,000 |
| TELEPADREPIO | 678 | 1,305,492 | 326,373 | 100,261,785,600 |
| TELESUR | 62,979 | 130,140,360 | 32,535,090 | 9,984,860,697,600 |
| TGN | 118,128 | 217,732,404 | 54,433,101 | 16,712,359,659,360 |
| TRT1 | 11,184 | 19,961,880 | 4,990,470 | 1,533,072,384,000 |
| TRTTURK | 11,522 | 20,582,496 | 5,145,624 | 1,580,735,692,800 |
| TSR1 | 15,283 | 26,495,592 | 6,623,898 | 1,559,218,867,200 |
| TV5MONDE | 16,258 | 31,502,496 | 7,875,624 | 2,408,093,491,200 |
| TV7TUNIS | 43,532 | 79,282,492 | 19,820,623 | 6,079,128,960,000 |
| TVRAIN | 45,874 | 107,633,300 | 26,908,325 | 33,459,585,408,000 |
| TVRAINENG | 1 | 2,760 | 690 | 1,430,784,000 |
| TVRI | 59,953 | 135,695,120 | 33,923,780 | 10,356,171,855,256 |
| VIETFACETV | 63,763 | 116,460,140 | 29,115,035 | 6,702,616,079,040 |
| VTV4 | 115,563 | 212,952,264 | 53,238,066 | 16,345,160,137,200 |
| WDR | 1 | 1,200 | 300 | 69,120,000 |
| YEMENTV | 53,306 | 128,173,212 | 32,043,303 | 9,836,155,929,600 |
| ZEETV | 27,612 | 65,193,180 | 16,298,295 | 5,006,836,224,000 |