Archive retention is the period for which stored programmes, recordings or related media remain available in a particular system. It can vary by channel, programme, storage policy and service arrangement. Retention is separate from a subscription's expiry date and from how far back an electronic guide happens to display schedule entries.
A practical example
A guide can retain a week's schedule while a particular replay source keeps only a shorter window. A viewer may still see an old programme title even though the corresponding stored media has already been removed or was never archived.
A common misunderstanding
Do not infer a retention period from another channel, an app screenshot or the age of the guide listings. Use the actual programme's available replay information when planning later viewing.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach