In the weeks following Sept. 11, the videoconferencing

facilities at Florida Gulf Coast University experienced an upswing in activity

as business professionals turned to technology, using FGCU’s sophisticated

computer equipment and cameras to hold their confabs electronically. “People

would rather do this now than travel somewhere,” says Bob Swank, FGCU’s

videoconferencing coordinator.

Through FGCU’s division of instructional technology and

broadcast services, the university rents its state-of-the-art facilities and

services for two-way videoconferencing, satellite downlinks and video

production. It will soon add audio production. These are the same facilities

used by the university’s public television and radio station affiliates,

WGCU-TV and WGCU-FM.

There has been no shortage of demand, says Kathleen Davey,

dean of instructional technology at FGCU. Blue Cross Blue Shield used a

satellite downlink originating in Tallahassee to announce a change in coverage

affecting Southwest Florida customers. Attorneys often use the

videoconferencing capability to depose a witness. An Iowa State University

faculty member who lives in Southwest Florida relies on it to teach a class

rather than flying to the Midwest once a week.

Pittsburgh physician Harlan Giles uses FGCU’s

videoconferencing capabilities when he is staying at his home on Sanibel. A

specialist in high-risk pregnancies, Giles is often called upon to do national

consulting on medical issues or to speak at medical conferences. “This is the

next best thing to being there. It’s more efficient—two to three hours instead

of an entire day spent traveling. It’s the way of the future,” says Giles. As flying

becomes less desirable, he adds, “the advantage of videoconferencing becomes

greater.”

Local ad agencies have rented the FGCU broadcast studio to

shoot commercials for clients such as Congress Jewelers and the Schneider

Centre for Plastic Surgery. United Way and other local non-profits have used

the facilities to create promotional videos. Collier County government produces

a weekly program there, aired on the local government cable channel.

Sanibel-based Abbott Video Productions, one of the nation’s largest

producers of infomercials, recently rented a full studio to shoot a 30-minute

infomercial. The experience, which took nearly a week, was “fantastic,” says

Abbott production editor Thom Marks. Previously, Abbott had traveled to Tampa

and Orlando to find adequate studios. “We will definitely use them again,” says

company vice president Liz Abbott.

At 3,000 square feet, the FGCU studio is the largest and

newest in Southwest Florida. The cost to rent just the studio space is $100 per

hour or $600 per day. Rental of the studio with equipment (including three

cameras and a prompter) and full crew is $300 per hour or $1,800 for a full

day. A full crew consists of three camera operators, a producer, a director,

and sound and lighting technicians. All are WGCU employees. The facilities also

include digital editing capabilities for $100 to $200 per hour and voice-over

recording for $50 per hour. Field production is available for $100 to $150 per

hour. Fees for non-profits are discounted.

Videoconferencing rates for local bookings range from $100

for one hour to $750 for a full day. National bookings are slightly more, and

non-profits are slightly less. All bookings are charged a $50 administrative

fee. After hours or weekend bookings have an additional $50 charge.

Most local public broadcasting stations rent their

facilities and services to offset their operating costs. All the money earned

by renting out the facilities goes back into local programming for WGCU. Last

year, FGCU brought in $45,000 by renting its studio and videoconferencing

facilities. The goal for this year is to increase that amount by 25 percent,

says Davey.

For information about videoconferencing services, contact

Bob Swank at 590-7036. For video production, contact Sheri Coleman at 590-2340.

For audio production, contact Gene Craven at 590-2505.