Barefoot's baby: Earless Rabbit jumps out
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Barefoot himself appears in some of the programs.screen capture
He's best known in Charlottesville as a WINA radio host, but author and historian Coy Barefoot now has an addition to his resumé: co-founder and creative director of Earless Rabbit, an online video site that features professionally produced clips on local topics from music to art to food.
"Earless Rabbit is what comes after newspaper, radio, and television as we know it," says Barefoot, who says the idea– named for the old-school television antennas– grew from his frustration with the interruptions caused by pop-up, banner, and video ads, all of which, he says, are relics of 20th century advertising models.
"The whole idea of a TV commercial is that it's an interruption," says Barefoot, who spent the past year working with his cofounder, filmmaker Kent Williamson, in preparation for the earlessrabbit.com launch.
While the content will indeed be interruption free, earless rabbit is admittedly not always a pure journalistic endeavor. While Barefoot offers his friendly and info-packed history lessons known as "Barefoot Excursions," other folks might pay for their coverage. Businesses, musicians, and artists can pay for professional treatment, which they can then use in their own social network marketing efforts or post to their own websites.
"The commercial of the 20th century is the content of the 21st," says Barefoot. "But not in a vulgar, infomercial kind of way. You tell stories, you give people experience and video that they want to watch."
18 comments
This business will never make it. Look at the "local" TV channel numbers. They are sinking quickly. Why will people tune into a "web" channel if they are not tuning into a local TV channel? They won't.
What is Coy Barefoot's real name?
@ Chris
Regardless of the TV channel numbers, I still would never tell somebody that "your business will never make it." There always has to be that one Negative Nelly naysayer trying to pound down people who dare try to step outside the matrix box. Guess you're that person in this particular scenario. If all entrepeneurs and people with ideas in general listened to people like you just imagine how many businesses and endeavors would never have gotten off the ground in this world. Products and services that we probably use every day and which have become a part of our lives but which all started with an idea that maybe sounded foolhardy, outlandish or risky to the Negative Nellys who tried to discourage them.
You can't know for sure what could happen with Coy's endeavor. It's not in your place to try to pound down somebody who has an idea, and in doing so you're merely projecting your own limitations. If it doesn't work, then fine.......but at least he tried. When one gets to the end of their life it's good to look back and say Hey, at least I tried. I didn't just stagnate and never go after my dreams. I did all the things on my list of things that I wanted to do in life. Most people have ideas that they're too afraid to actually do anything about. It's all talk. Total pipe dreams. Then they get to the end of their lives and it's nothing but regrets and sorrow. Woulda coulda shoulda.....but now it's too late. waaamp waaaaaaamp waaaaaaaamp waaaaaaaaaaaamp...... Or worse yet, they assume they have forever to get around to their ideas but death comes knocking completely unexpectedly within days, a week, a few months, a year. They thought they had more time. But they didn't. They took their lives for granted.
So hey, more power to anybody who has an idea and gets out there and actually *does* something about it.
btw
The Hook started out as somebody's idea, floating around in the back of Hawes' head as he worked over at Cville Weekly, if I'm remembering the story correctly. And now look. We're posting on his comments section, for an award winning news weekly.
I just checked out the actual product --great ! The bottom line is- if this is produced well and creatively, which it appears to be, it will succeed. Coy is a great story teller, and like Hawes Spencer, has the beat on great local stories.
Congratulations Coy !
Booo, if people are not watching the local news on TV, why would they watch the local news on a website? My comments have nothing to do with your romantic description of "looking back on life." They strictly are based on facts, numbers and evidence. The reality is there is less interest in local news than ever. The numbers back that up, and it's not just in the Charlottesville market either.
By the way, I should add, I very much respect Coy Barefoot and his talent for story telling.
Chris have you looked at the website ? This doesn't look at all like local TV. I have stopped watching all TV, because of the commercial interruptions and that's what I like about this - there aren't any.
I thought there were already some folks around here doing the same thing? maybe not
@ Chris
"Booo, if people are not watching the local news on TV, why would they watch the local news on a website? My comments have nothing to do with your romantic description of "looking back on life." They strictly are based on facts, numbers and evidence. The reality is there is less interest in local news than ever. The numbers back that up, and it's not just in the Charlottesville market either."
Apparently you missed these parts of my post:
"Regardless of the TV channel numbers, I still would never tell somebody that "your business will never make it." And, "You can't know for sure what could happen with Coy's endeavor. It's not in your place to try to pound down somebody who has an idea, and in doing so you're merely projecting your own limitations." And most importantly, "If all entrepeneurs and people with ideas in general listened to people like you just imagine how many businesses and endeavors would never have gotten off the ground in this world."
Who are you to tell somebody flat out "the business will never make it"? It has nothing to do with romanticism on my part, and everything to do with understanding that none of us can know for certain how something will work out for others. You can analyze numbers and figures and statistics into the ground concerning related business endeavors, but Coy may have something extra that you're unaware of, something different that he's bringing to the table and some other factor going on that will play into his success.
And if he doesn't succeed, so be it. At least he tried. Unlike most people who just talk a lot of talk but never actually do anything with their lives.
It's better to be the person who pats somebody on the back and wishes them well in their adventures then to be the nasty old curmudgeon who tries to tear everybody down with pessimism and cynicsm. Even if you believe you're just being a "realist" the fact is, once again, you just can't know the factors at work in his unique and personal situation.
You have to try. Get to the end of your life with no regrets.
I can assure you, I won't be watching it.
Boo, there are not enough people in this market who will support this business model. The TV stations are literally laying people off because not enough people are supporting their channels/business. The newspapers are laying people off and asking others to go through furloughs. Heck, even The Hook, which I love, had to aggregate its back-end infrastructure with its direct competitor - CVille Weekly - to keep overhead down and stay alive. That says something, right!!
To say that "Coy may have something extra" is incredibly presumptuous. Again, I think Coy is very, very talented. However, the "local" model is not working in print, radio or TV in markets across the country. Look at the listenership, viewership and readership of the local publications. They are all declining in a hurry! That's all I'm saying. My comments have nothing to do with Coy, who is an admirable and talented person. This is not personal; it's just factual.
Chris, I respectfully have to disagree. My instincts are that local stories and newspapers are fairing far better than state or national news. Perhaps some of the local outlets need to go, because instead of reporting local news and local stories they have morphed into pure advertising vehicles.
Beth, you are absolutely wrong. Please educate yourself by reading these links:
http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2012/feb22_12.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/22/us-mediageneral-idUSTRE81L2AW2...
http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2012/02/newspaper-ad-revenues-fall-to-50-yea...
Local news platforms are suffering now more than ever. That's a fact.
Thank you Chris, I will enjoy studying these . I don't disagree that some local media is suffering, but I would argue that is because they have neglected their mission of investigating local authorities and telling good local stories . All of us feel inundated with adds and
boring press releases are not going to grab anyone's attention - yet some local media have, perhaps for lack of knowledgable reporters, reached the point where the public is no longer interested.
@ Chris - I get what you're saying, but, why the need to tear him down? Just figuritively pat him on the back and wish him well in his endeavors. Is that so hard to do?
Unless somebody tells you of some cockamamy idea of jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, then just nod and wish them well. More power to them for trying.
I'm not sure why that's so hard to understand.
Boo, you seem to be very sensitive. Never have I said anything insulting about Coy Barefoot. In fact, in most of my posts, I indicated that Coy was "talented" and that I had "respect" for him. My commentary and analysis are based solely on the business model, which I predict will not materialize into anything sustainable. By the way, Media General sold all its newspaper properties today (except the Tampa Tribute) to Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
LINK: http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2012/may17_12.html
There is a difference between content centered around BOS meetings and lively stories on local bands and artists and businesses. It's a model that can work because it's focusing on the neglected feature stories that news outlets choose not to tell so they can update you on the Rivanna water supply or a budget meetings.
You look at it and you see live concerts, historical narratives, in depth interviews with local artists. No one is saying it will be Apple but it absolutely can work if it tries to perfect its role in the community.
To say it will never make it is naive and based on stirring the pot and nothing more.