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March 19, 2007
Former video producer launches Internet television station
Ed Taylor, Tribune
Residents of the Carefree/ Cave Creek area have a new source of information about happenings in their communities: CarefreeTV.com.
The Internet television station offers streaming videos with short, upto-date reports on local topics such as dining, lodging, events, shopping, news and night life. Another feature is a two-minute weekly visit with Carefree Mayor Ed Morgan answering residents’ questions.
“Instead of having static pages of text and photos, the viewer gets to see video,” said Gregg Housey, president of ERP Productions, who developed the concept. “This is the next generation of the Internet.”
Housey said the site is designed to be uncluttered and easy to navigate, with most information within two clicks of the user’s computer mouse. Videos can be viewed in high-definition, full-screen mode.
Housey became a Carefree resident last year, moving to Arizona from Michigan where he had more than 30 years of experience as president of a media production company. His clients included auto manufacturers.
Housey decided to transfer many of the Internet techniques he had used for corporate clients to his newly adopted home, creating a local stage to trade and share information about Carefree. Also, it builds on the popularity of the YouTube video site.
“The concept is relatively common in the corporate world,” he said. “This is part of the trickle-down to the common man.”
Among the site’s features are a night life section with information about upcoming events, video advertising for local stores and businesses and a news section with clips about local happenings. The site also has links to the Carefree and Cave Creek town Web sites.
“The text is limited. It’s there to support the media and not be the star,” he said.
Housey produces most of the videos himself, using his own camera. He also has help from freelance production people and uses the Corporate Broadcast Center at 2617 S. 46th St., Phoenix, to process the videos. Often an advertiser’s video can be on the site on the same day it was shot, he said.
He declined to say how many hits the site has received, but said he was surprised at the amount of traffic it is getting, especially because he has not yet promoted it heavily.
Housey has gathered a collection of domain names and hopes to launch similar Web sites in other Arizona communities and across the United States. His newest venture is WhiteMountainTV.com, and he said he could have another eight to 10 sites running within the next year.
“CarefreeTV.com is a template that can be used for cities and companies across the country,” he said. “Anyone can have their own Internet TV station.”
Morgan said he supports the Web site because it’s an additional way to distribute information about the town. Unlike other cities, Carefree doesn’t have a public-access television channel to convey information over the cable networks, he said.
“I have always felt better off to overcommunicate rather than undercommunicate,” he said.
In the future he envisions other council members with their own video spots talking about areas of their responsibility such as street improvements or law enforcement, he said.
In addition, because the Internet is universal, winter visitors can keep up to date on news in Carefree when they are back at home in Chicago or New York, he said.
Morgan admitted he hasn’t had a lot of feedback from his constituents about his two-minute spots, but he said that will probably change as more computer users learn about the Web site and as more controversial issues develop.
Frank Ashmore, director of sales and marketing for the Carefree Resort and Villas, said the Web site opens many possibilities for promoting his hotel. For example, he said he can customize a personal message for a group considering the resort for a conference and send the potential customer an e-mail message with a link to the video message on the CarefreeTV.com Web site.
He said the tailored message can be place in a hidden area of the Web site not available to the public.
Similar custom messages could be sent to a bride and groom living out of state who are contemplating being married at the resort, he said. Also possible is videotaping of business conferences so that employees who are not able to attend could see and hear what happened.
“My mind is spinning about how this can be used,” he said.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/86118
Former video producer launches Internet television station
Ed Taylor, Tribune
Residents of the Carefree/ Cave Creek area have a new source of information about happenings in their communities: CarefreeTV.com.
The Internet television station offers streaming videos with short, upto-date reports on local topics such as dining, lodging, events, shopping, news and night life. Another feature is a two-minute weekly visit with Carefree Mayor Ed Morgan answering residents’ questions.
“Instead of having static pages of text and photos, the viewer gets to see video,” said Gregg Housey, president of ERP Productions, who developed the concept. “This is the next generation of the Internet.”
Housey said the site is designed to be uncluttered and easy to navigate, with most information within two clicks of the user’s computer mouse. Videos can be viewed in high-definition, full-screen mode.
Housey became a Carefree resident last year, moving to Arizona from Michigan where he had more than 30 years of experience as president of a media production company. His clients included auto manufacturers.
Housey decided to transfer many of the Internet techniques he had used for corporate clients to his newly adopted home, creating a local stage to trade and share information about Carefree. Also, it builds on the popularity of the YouTube video site.
“The concept is relatively common in the corporate world,” he said. “This is part of the trickle-down to the common man.”
Among the site’s features are a night life section with information about upcoming events, video advertising for local stores and businesses and a news section with clips about local happenings. The site also has links to the Carefree and Cave Creek town Web sites.
“The text is limited. It’s there to support the media and not be the star,” he said.
Housey produces most of the videos himself, using his own camera. He also has help from freelance production people and uses the Corporate Broadcast Center at 2617 S. 46th St., Phoenix, to process the videos. Often an advertiser’s video can be on the site on the same day it was shot, he said.
He declined to say how many hits the site has received, but said he was surprised at the amount of traffic it is getting, especially because he has not yet promoted it heavily.
Housey has gathered a collection of domain names and hopes to launch similar Web sites in other Arizona communities and across the United States. His newest venture is WhiteMountainTV.com, and he said he could have another eight to 10 sites running within the next year.
“CarefreeTV.com is a template that can be used for cities and companies across the country,” he said. “Anyone can have their own Internet TV station.”
Morgan said he supports the Web site because it’s an additional way to distribute information about the town. Unlike other cities, Carefree doesn’t have a public-access television channel to convey information over the cable networks, he said.
“I have always felt better off to overcommunicate rather than undercommunicate,” he said.
In the future he envisions other council members with their own video spots talking about areas of their responsibility such as street improvements or law enforcement, he said.
In addition, because the Internet is universal, winter visitors can keep up to date on news in Carefree when they are back at home in Chicago or New York, he said.
Morgan admitted he hasn’t had a lot of feedback from his constituents about his two-minute spots, but he said that will probably change as more computer users learn about the Web site and as more controversial issues develop.
Frank Ashmore, director of sales and marketing for the Carefree Resort and Villas, said the Web site opens many possibilities for promoting his hotel. For example, he said he can customize a personal message for a group considering the resort for a conference and send the potential customer an e-mail message with a link to the video message on the CarefreeTV.com Web site.
He said the tailored message can be place in a hidden area of the Web site not available to the public.
Similar custom messages could be sent to a bride and groom living out of state who are contemplating being married at the resort, he said. Also possible is videotaping of business conferences so that employees who are not able to attend could see and hear what happened.
“My mind is spinning about how this can be used,” he said.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/86118
