Programme production for international exchange release is largely based on film;programmes stored on 35 mm cinematographic film provide a high-quality source input required with future conventional 16:9 television and HDTV services;such programmes are archived for a very long period of time;during archival storage such films may be reused many times for the transfer of the programme from film onto tape;loss of technical quality during the lifetime of the archived programme must be avoided;proper care when handling the film before, during and after each archival interval is a pre-requisite for the successful retrieval of the programme;the vinegar syndrome affecting the film base may require special attention in this respect.