Restrictions to Access

Digital media removed from the collection in additions of 2016-2018 are closed pending curatorial review.

Use of audio or moving image materials may require production of listening or viewing copies.

Access to streaming audio or moving image materials may be restricted to researchers who can authenticate with an ONYEN or who are physically present on campus. For further information about access to streaming audiovisual materials, contact Research and Instructional Services staff at Wilsonlibrary@unc.edu

Restrictions to Use

No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Steve Rathe Collection #20518, Southern Folklife Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Steve Rathe in December 2015 (Acc. 102470), March 2016 (Acc. 102533), May 2016 (Acc. 102578), April 2017 (Acc. 103468), June 2018 (Acc. 103378), and June 2022 (20220609.2).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Processed by: Anne Wells and Mary Oliva, October 2017

Encoded by: Anne Wells, October 2017

Finding aid updated by: Nancy Kaiser and Patrick Cullom, September-October 2018; Anne Wells, November 2018; Rebecca Stubbs and Dawne Howard Lucas, June 2022

Archival processing of the Steve Rathe Collection was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Published sound recordings have been separated and added to the Southern Folklife Collection General Collection (#30001)

Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Anderson, Laurie, 1947-
• Asch, Moses.
• Blues (Music).
• Davis, Miles.
• Dickens, Hazel, 1925-2011.
• Dylan, Bob, 1941-
• Evans, Gil, 1912-1988.
• Fink, Cathy.
• Folk music--United States.
• Glass, Philip.
• Guest, Christopher.
• Guthrie, Arlo.
• Hammond, John, 1942-
• Hancock, Herbie, 1940-
• Hockenberry, John.
• Ian, Janis.
• Jazz.
• Mitchell, Joni.
• Monroe, Bill, 1911-1996.
• Murray Street Productions--Photographs.
• Murray Street Productions.
• Music--United States--20th century.
• National Public Radio (U.S.)
• Near, Holly.
• Newman, Randy.
• Ochs, Phil.
• Radio broadcasting--United States.
• Radio programs--United States.
• Rathe, Steve--Photographs.
• Rathe, Steve.
• Reagon, Toshi.
• Reich, Steve, 1936-
• Sapp, Jane.
• Sky, Patrick.
• Sorrels, Rosalie.
• Sweet Honey in the Rock (Musical group)
• Van Ronk, Dave.
• Wainwright, Loudon, III, 1946-

Stephen Rathe is a white radio producer. He graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in television-radio in 1971. After briefly working with television sports, he began working as a freelance producer. He joined National Public Radio to produce live events and the Folk Festival, USA series, pioneering NPR's tradition of broadcasting American folk, jazz and new music alongside of its classical programming. Rathe also built NPR’s Contemporary Music/Events Unit, creating Jazz Alive!, American Music Sampler, and a live broadcast of The White House Jazz Festival. In 1981, he founded Murray Street Enterprise, a Peabody award-winning production and distribution company that specializes in radio and audio projects. Rathe has also produced commercial recordings, including projects by Wynton Marsalis, New Lost City Ramblers, and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Audiovisual materials, supporting documentation, and office files compiled by white radio producer and Murray Street Productions founder, Steve Rathe. Audiovisual materials consist primarily of audio recordings of radio productions relating to National Public Radio and Murray Street Productions. Radio programs represented in the collection include Appalachia Waltz, Folk Festival, USA, HEAT with John Hockenberry, Jazz Alive!, New Music America, RadioVisions, SportsBand, and The Territory of Art, among others. Notable subjects and guests on the recordings include Laurie Anderson, Moses Asch, Miles Davis, Hazel Dickens, Bob Dylan, Gil Evans, Cathy Fink, Phillip Glass, Christopher Guest, Arlo Guthrie, John Hammond, Herbie Hancock, Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell, Bill Monroe, Holly Near, Randy Newman, Phil Ochs, Paul Winter Consort, Toshi Reagon, Steve Reich, Jane Sapp, Patrick Sky, Rosalie Sorrels, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Dave Van Ronk, and Loudon Wainwright III. Other miscellaneous audio recordings found in the collection include unidentified radio productions, demos, audition tapes, dubbed recordings of 78s, and conference recordings. The collection also contains moving image materials compiled by Stephen Rathe, including live performances, promotional videos, dubbed television broadcasts, video production materials, and video materials relating to the radio productions Appalachia Waltz, HEAT with John Hockenberry, and RadioNet. Supporting documentation includes paper materials found with select audiovisual materials, including tape logs, memos, letters, clippings, programs, and flyers. Office files consist of planning and production materials for many of the radio programs Rathe produced.

The collection also contains festival programs, posters, souvenir books, t-shirts, and other ephemera from various music and art festivals. Photographic materials primarily consist of portraits and images of Steve Rathe relating to his work in the radio industry, circa 1978-2000. Also included are images of Steve Rathe receiving various awards for his work in radio production, including a 1990 G.F. Peabody Award and a 2000 Medal of the Arts at the White House.