The Quinnipiac University School of Communications unveiled its new HDTV (high definition television) studio to the campus community on Thursday Dec. 2. Among those in attendance of the ribbon cutting ceremony were President John Lahey, Dean of the School of Communications, David Donnelly, the Quinnipiac Board of Trustees, and various other members of the Quinnipiac faculty, students, representatives from Sony and ESPN. Renowned Broadway star, Carol Channing, and her husband, Harry Kullijian, were also on hand to celebrate the event.
“It’s a great day for Quinnipiac,” Lahey said of the $1.6 million studio.
For the past 11 years communications students at Quinnipiac had been working out of an analogue studio. For the benefit of current and prospective students it was determined that the studio needed an upgrade to digital technology. Dean Donnelly believes it will be extremely advantageous for students to receive training with this type of technology because it will make them extremely marketable when they enter the working world.
“It is very unusual that a university has made this kind of investment at this time. This puts us out at the front for programs – other universities have not upgraded to this type of technology,” Donnelly said. He also indicated that other universities will eventually follow in Quinnipiac’s footsteps.
Quinnipiac is one of the first universities in the nation to implement a HDTV studio.
The upgrade allows students, faculty and staff to learn how to use the technology while everyone in the industry is learning as well. ESPN, who has hired nearly 30 Quinnipiac graduates, upgraded to HD technology approximately 138 days prior to Quinnipiac.
“That you are doing this will give students a leg up. This is a very smart move you’re making,” Bryan Burns, vice president of strategic business planning and development for ESPN, said.
In a speech made at the event, Lahey shared his reasoning as to why he felt it was important to upgrade.
“What persuaded me [to upgrade] is that we have the finest students and the finest faculty and we need to continue to have the finest students and faculty with the finest equipment,” Lahey said.
Jay Dishong, vice president of sales in the Northeast region for Sony, said, “I am glad Quinnipiac University seized the future and shared that with Sony.”
The upgraded studio features all state-of-the-art Sony technology, including three HDC-910 studio cameras, an HDSX-3600 HD routing switcher, an HDW-730S HDCAM camcorder for field acquisition, an MVS-8000A 2 M/E video production switcher with 4 channels of digital video effects, and a DMX-R100 digital audio mixing board.
Special guest, Carol Channing, was honored to be a part of the unveiling.
“I am so happy to be here to help you open your new TV department,” Channing said.
