2008 Woodie Awards
Guilford teams heard around world thanks to webcasting
Jamie Metrick
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Sports
The Quakers just scored another touchdown! Your parents leap off the coach in their bathrobes and cheer so loud the cat looks at them funny.
Thanks to Guilford's internet webcasting service, parents, family and alumni can listen to live and pre-recorded sports games from anywhere in the world.
Through the audio webcasting provider StretchInternet.com, Guilford teams get quality broadcasting by a team of committed alumni, staff and students.
"(Webcasting) is a really unique way for people to get closer to the action without being there physically," said Dave Walters, sports information director.
The project has come a long way since its simple beginnings almost 15 years ago. Broadcasting games began with football home games over WGOS, a High Point, N.C. radio station. For people out of the area, there was also a phone-through service called Team Line giving final scores.
"As the technology progressed, SportsJuice.com took over the radio broadcasts and also covered select men's basketball games in 2002," Walters said.
But SportsJuice.com charged a fee per game, which proved costly. Guilford switched to StretchInternet.com, which charges a one-time annual fee that offers unlimited broadcasting.
StretchInternet.com opened the door for better equipment and more personnel. The service records games through a cell phone connection to download audio onto its servers, whereas SportsJuice.com needed a land-line internet connection. The cell phone connection works great on soccer and baseball fields, and away games on the road.
Football games are now hosted by alumnus Tom Bryant, '80. Bryant also convinced the sports department to work out an internship for students at Elon University to help cover games and set up the technology. Through the internship, Guilford hired Bryan Jones, the current Sports Marketing Coordinator in August.
"Since he's come on board he's invested his time and energy getting other sports involved," Walters said.
Thanks to Guilford's internet webcasting service, parents, family and alumni can listen to live and pre-recorded sports games from anywhere in the world.
Through the audio webcasting provider StretchInternet.com, Guilford teams get quality broadcasting by a team of committed alumni, staff and students.
"(Webcasting) is a really unique way for people to get closer to the action without being there physically," said Dave Walters, sports information director.
The project has come a long way since its simple beginnings almost 15 years ago. Broadcasting games began with football home games over WGOS, a High Point, N.C. radio station. For people out of the area, there was also a phone-through service called Team Line giving final scores.
"As the technology progressed, SportsJuice.com took over the radio broadcasts and also covered select men's basketball games in 2002," Walters said.
But SportsJuice.com charged a fee per game, which proved costly. Guilford switched to StretchInternet.com, which charges a one-time annual fee that offers unlimited broadcasting.
StretchInternet.com opened the door for better equipment and more personnel. The service records games through a cell phone connection to download audio onto its servers, whereas SportsJuice.com needed a land-line internet connection. The cell phone connection works great on soccer and baseball fields, and away games on the road.
Football games are now hosted by alumnus Tom Bryant, '80. Bryant also convinced the sports department to work out an internship for students at Elon University to help cover games and set up the technology. Through the internship, Guilford hired Bryan Jones, the current Sports Marketing Coordinator in August.
"Since he's come on board he's invested his time and energy getting other sports involved," Walters said.
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