jordan pulse -

Interview by: Atef Abu Hajar
​Before YouTube became a content creation platform, Hani Abdel Hadi, known as "Hani Jordan," began collecting and recording old television programs, songs, series, commercials, and archival materials more than four decades ago.
​Over the years, this hobby transformed into a massive digital archive documenting an essential part of Jordanian and Arab television history, transitioning from the tapes of the past to the internet to allow new generations to experience the media, art, and memories of a bygone era.
​In this interview, we look back with Hani Jordan at a journey spanning over forty years in the world of archiving and documentation, exploring the story behind this passion, the highlights of his collection, his early days with YouTube, and his vision for preserving the television memory of Jordan and the Arab world.
​First Question: To begin with, who is Hani Abdel Hadi, whom the public knows as "Hani Jordan"? And how did the story start?
​Hani Jordan: I am Hani Abdel Hadi, and I became known among people as "Hani Jordan." My story with archiving and recording began more than four decades ago, when tapes were the primary medium for recording programs, songs, series, and broadcast materials on television. At first, it was just a hobby and a passion, but over the years, this passion transformed into a life project and a vast archive of materials tied to the memories of entire generations.
​Second Question: What drove you to record and keep television materials at that time?
​Hani Jordan: I felt that much of what was shown on television might not be repeated, and that many programs, songs, interviews, and commercials could disappear over time. Therefore, I was keen to record and preserve them. Back then, we did not know the term "digital archiving," but I had a sense of the importance of saving these materials, and over time, I realized they had become part of society's memory.
​Third Question: How did the hobby evolve into a massive archive that reached the Arab public?
​Hani Jordan: It happened gradually. I started with old tapes and recordings, then technology evolved, making it possible to convert them into digital formats. With the advent of the internet and YouTube, it became possible to publish these materials and reach a wider audience. At that point, the goal was no longer just keeping them, but sharing them with people, reviving their memories, and introducing new generations to what was shown on screens in the past.
​Fourth Question: What kind of materials are in the "Hani Jordan" archive?
​Hani Jordan: The archive is very diverse, including television programs, political and artistic interviews, documentary materials, songs, concerts, series, commercials, television breaks, and materials from Jordanian television and various Arab stations. There are materials dating back to the 1980s, 1990s, and earlier, and each piece carries a story and memories associated with a specific period.
​Fifth Question: Are there specific materials you consider closest to your heart?
​Hani Jordan: It is difficult to choose just one piece, because every recording has its value and memories. There are Jordanian materials I cherish because they document important phases of Jordanian television history, alongside rare interviews, concerts, and artistic pieces. For me, the value of a material lies not just in its fame, but in its ability to capture a moment in time and preserve it for future generations.
​Sixth Question: How was your experience with YouTube, especially since you started early?
​Hani Jordan: It was a new and important experience for me. When I started publishing materials online, I discovered that a large audience was searching for these memories. Someone in Jordan watching an old piece, and someone living abroad watching it, would feel as though they had returned to their childhood and homeland. This interaction with the audience was one of the main reasons that encouraged me to continue.
​Seventh Question: What does it mean to you when some describe you as one of the earliest and oldest YouTubers in Jordan and the Arab world?
​Hani Jordan: I appreciate this talk, but for me, what matters more than the title of "the oldest" is what I have presented and left behind for people. I started in a completely different era, before content creation became an industry as we know it today. I transitioned from the era of tapes and home recording to the era of the internet and digital platforms, and my goal has always been to preserve old materials and deliver them to people.
​Eighth Question: Why do you consider old commercials, breaks, and programs important alongside songs and series?
​Hani Jordan: Because memory is not composed of major works alone. Even an old commercial or a short TV break can reflect the lifestyle, language, and culture of a specific period. Likewise, programs, interviews, and political and artistic materials document people, events, and an entire phase of media and societal history. Therefore, I view the television archive as part of our cultural and social memory.
​Ninth Question: What were the most prominent difficulties you faced during more than forty years of collecting and preserving these materials?
​Hani Jordan: Maintaining old tapes is not easy; some are affected by the passage of time and require care and conversion into modern digital formats. There are also technical challenges and copyright issues, especially when materials are linked to artistic or television works owned by other entities. Archiving is a major responsibility and not just uploading a video to the internet.
​Tenth Question: After more than forty years, what is your message to the new generations? And what is your dream for the future of this archive?
​Hani Jordan: My message to the new generations is to preserve their memory and know their media and cultural history. Technology changes, but memory remains important. I hope that work will continue to preserve, organize, and transform these materials into an archive that researchers, students, journalists, and viewers can easily access.
​I hope a new generation will come forward to complete this mission, because preserving the memory of television, art, and media is not the responsibility of one person alone, but a shared cultural responsibility.
​In the end, when I watch someone return to an old material and say, "I used to watch this when I was young," I feel that all the years I spent collecting and preserving these recordings were worth the effort.