Several weeks ago I was contacted by someone from a new web site, GabCast.tv. They had come across my blog and were looking for a veterinarian to host a regular live webcast on their site. I said I was interested, but didn't put much stock in it as it's not infrequent for me to be contacted about various "opportunities" related to this blog, most of which aren't worth my time or effort. However, this one was different, as within a week I was on the phone with the CEO discussing what they were looking for. Long story short, and after some negotiations, I am now one of the hosts on their site!
The site just went live yesterday but is still very new and expanding, and we're not sure where all of this will go. But there are some big names behind this, including former Disney CEO Michael Eisner as an adviser and network executive Fred Silverman as a co-founder, chairman, and financial backer. There are some pretty big names behind this endeavor, so there must be a good feeling about it (go look at Fred's accomplishments, as there are some big-name shows that he's brought to TV).
How does all of this work and what does this mean for me? This site is being set up to allow people to have their own webcast get-togethers that they can put on themselves. There are several different "channels" on various topics, from dating, to health and fitness, shopping, teen issues, and pets. That last one is where I come in! There are videos that people can watch, and which I will be adding to weekly on various pet-related topics. I will also be hosting a live 10 minute webcast about ten times per week (twice daily on some days) where people can chat with me and ask questions. When there are no questions to answer I'll pick a topic to go over for the time period. Of course I'm really hoping that this will quickly pick up steam and develop a following that will get me plenty of people participating in the show! I'm trying to schedule my own show at several different times so that people in different time zones can have a chance to join in.
For now the site is free to register, and you can come on and see what's happening. As I said this is all very, very new (less than 2 weeks old, and only officially since yesterday) so you may not see much quite yet. But keep checking back and you'll see things take off quickly.
Now what does this mean for this blog? I'm not giving up on it, as this was always intended to be as much about the personal life of a vet and what it means to be a practicing vet as it was a source of veterinary information. But in order to make my webcast succeed I'll be spending more time there going over clinical information and advice. There will at some point be an "Ask The Expert" paid service on GabCast, and once that is established I won't do direct case advice for free like I've done in the past (doing so would undermine my efforts at GabCast). Until then I'll likely answer any emailed questions on my webshow rather than in this blog. So you can see this blog getting back to more of the personal trials and tribulations of a small animal vet, and my GabCast shows and videos focusing on pet-related advice and information.
Will this really take off? Who knows?! But with some big names behind it, there is a real chance of success. If nothing else, it's opening some opportunities that I never imagined happening.
So come on over to www.GabCast.tv and check me out live!
