William & Mary launches remote broadcast facility

William & Mary on-air The College of William & Mary debuted a remote broadcast studio facility in Feb. 2013. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Inaugural interview Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy Lawrence Wilkerson did the first national broadcast interview from William & Mary's remote broadcast facility Feb. 18. The studio features a digital backdrop that can be customized to the interviewee. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

by Suzanne Seurattan | February 19, 2013

The College of William & Mary debuted a remote broadcast studio this week. The new facility makes it convenient for media outlets to conduct live or taped interviews with William & Mary faculty and staff experts who are some of the world’s leading experts for breaking news, features or trends. The inaugural interview, featuring Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy Lawrence Wilkerson, appeared on the Feb. 18 broadcast of MSNBC’s The Ed Show.

The studio is conveniently located adjacent to the College’s main campus in the Discovery II office complex at 5308 Discovery Park Blvd. In addition to connecting to broadcast media, the facility can also be used to produce webcasts and will enable university faculty to remotely attend conferences.

The facility is fully equipped with professional broadcast lighting and state-of-the-art audio and video equipment. The ReadyCam system, a camera package that transmits video and audio signals over the Internet via enhanced IP, is operated remotely by VideoLink, a video services provider headquartered in Boston, Mass. This partnership provides 24/7 access to news outlets worldwide.

The remote studio will be managed by the College’s Office of University Relations.