[NatureBoy]

This is 100% about controlling a message. You don't tell people to remove all existing content from YouTube if you only care about drones flying around.

What is the basis of demanding the channels be removed? Copyright infringement? Has The Developer tried complaining to YouTube?

Maybe The Developer will go after Skip Smith next for saying things they don't like.

I hope a GoFundMe is set up for legal expenses and the parties involved can counter sue for legal costs & damages. Maybe everyone who contributes to GoFundMe could get a piece of the settlement.

[mraines]

Originally Posted by Skip

Who is objecting? Answer: Mark Morse has numerous times complained about drones flying over The Villages.
What is their objection? Answer: When flyers say things like "The restaurant looks like it has a roof-top bar, first in The Villages..." when he hasn't announced it yet in the Daily Sun or on YouTube.
What are the grounds for their objections? Answer: None. You can't stop drone pilots from using the airspace over anything. No one owns the airspace except the government over specified areas.

Skip

This would not surprise me. There was a very good band who used to play here. I heard that after the pandemic he announced they were coming back before TV did and they have not been back at all.

[Skip]

Some years back, the head of golf in The Villages wrote to all the ("Lighter Than Air") Hot Air Balloon pilots in the 3 counties and demanded that they not fly over the golf courses in The Villages. The reaction of these guys was LOL. They wondered if he also wrote to American, United, Delta, etc. and told them the same thing. Any Balloon Pilots out there remember that?
[Veterans discussion: Please stay on topic, TU.]

Skip

[ElDiabloJoe]

The Villages is unhappy because they have lost control of the narrative. They slipped and fell behind because they were not proactive enough (i.e. investing in, hiring, for, budgeting for, etc.) in their P.R. and marketing. They probably figured since they owned the media (trademarked name, the radio station WVLG, the daily newspaper, all the glossy quarterly updates, etc.) that they controlled the message.

Nope, not any longer. In this day and age, they needed a young, savvy marketing team and give them free rein to run the message - no micromanaging. If you want to control the timing, release, and content of information then YOU need to make that happen. The best (social) media marketing team is arguably that of Wendy's fast food restaurants. Their rapid, playful, humorous jabs at competitors and their marketing savvy is renown and often viral. They do not run things up the slow and cumbersome flag pole for approval before posting. In this instant-media age, timing is everything. Or at least it is a lot of it.

So what typically happens when there exists both a demand for information and a vacuum of information? The niche gets filled. Someone else who is more responsive and motivated steps in. In our case, several someones.

If The Villages were truly interested in beneficial damage control of this narrative loss, they would either go full force investment on P.R. and marketing (they already lost the loofah and STD messaging years ago) OR less expensively, get behind and support / promote the very active contributions their active lifestyle residents are making to their sales and positive image. Residents like Don and Mario and Papa are demonstrably living the active and involved lifestyle The Villages strives to promote and sell. They are the epitome of actual residents doing the things The Villages hires actors to do in their commercials.

Don is always objective (except when he says he doesn't care for activity X or restaurant chain Y). More often than not he does break the news of developments. These "YouTubers" help stir-up and build excitement and interest for The Villages. I'm not so sure that without this free and timely marketing that The Villages would have enough potential buyers to sell 10 homes a day.

Don also is quick to share that as an educated and experienced construction management observer, The Villages does amazing work and high quality work. He doesn't bad mouth the cookie-cutter shotgun nature of the floor plans, or the predictable nature of the neighborhoods or the construction methodologies and materials used. He is usually quick to point out and admire The Villages and their remarkable achievements.

Me thinks The Morse Family may be biting the hand that helps feed.

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

The Villages is unhappy because they have lost control of the narrative. They slipped and fell behind because they were not proactive enough (i.e. investing in, hiring, for, budgeting for, etc.) in their P.R. and marketing. They probably figured since they owned the media (trademarked name, the radio station WVLG, the daily newspaper, all the glossy quarterly updates, etc.) that they controlled the message.

There’s something to this.
Messaging has changed and speed at which messaging is delivered has changed - and it has changed fast in the last 5 years.
TikTok, YouTube, drones, Insta, etc - the potential customers of Villages homes are all using them (the buyer isn’t someone watching the 12:00 news in Illinois waiting for The Villages commercial to come on) and want information on their schedule, not on the schedule of the developer.

[Catfishjeff]

The Villages just made a huge PR mistake. Not only are they dead wrong legally but they have created a backlash that will spread throughout the world through social media. The potential damages to future sales could be huge. And they will lose in court. Gary Morse must be rolling in his grave.

[jsa]

Update here

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by jsa

Update

https://www.**************.com/2025/...truction-sites

NOTE (for newer users): There is an online news source which shall not be named on ToTV. Apparently, filters are active which immediately replace the name of the news source with the "*****" you see in the link above. It's not you, it's the filters.

[Papa_lecki]

I think there were 2 or 3 big developments that came out of the drone group recently that pi$$ed off the developer - losing control of the narrative
1) the piping under the turnpike
2) the drone video of the brownwood theatre getting cleaned out
3) the most recent information about the work being done on the turnpike bridge.

[dhdallas]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

I received word today, my letter is also in the mail. As a "repeat offender" I guess mine took a little longer. One the bright side, the letters are coming from a lawyer not the FAA. If there was merit a complaint would have been filed with the FAA or FDLE, but since it hasn't been (I am assuming) then this is little more that an attempt to intimidate. A common tactic.

The first time this happened to me I was hit with a fine for $7,100 from the FAA. It nearly put me out of business. But as had been previously said in this thread, I beat them and the charges were dropped by the FAA and the fine rescinded. They wasted a lot of money on having a lawyer file a 130+ page complaint with the FAA.

Until the FAA or FDLE is involved it is little more than saber rattling by a bunch of out of town lawyers in my opinion. This has little to do with drones and everything to do with controlling the flow of information.

“It’s an attempt to control the narrative and flow of information in the community,” said Wiley. No it isn't! It is a legal & invasion-of-privacy issue, not some evil conspiracy concocted by the developer. Aside from a legal standpoint, the drones are just plain annoying & intrusive. I don't want them flying over my property. "Boys & their toys"...grow up already!

[shut the front door]

Considering the social media post that Don Wiley made yesterday, I'm going to assume that the Developer will not be financing his next election!

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by dhdallas

“It’s an attempt to control the narrative and flow of information in the community,” said Wiley. No it isn't! It is a legal & invasion-of-privacy issue, not some evil conspiracy concocted by the developer. Aside from a legal standpoint, the drones are just plain annoying & intrusive. I don't want them flying over my property. "Boys & their toys"...grow up already!

Guess what, you don’t own the airspace above your property. You of all people should be happy to see electric vehicles flying around.

[Tvflguy]

The 4 small video production guys that take drone videos above TV and new areas being developed received Cease & Desist letters from TV attorneys. Telling them to STOP flying above TV and gave them 2 weeks to delete all their videos on sites etc.

????? We love Don Wiley and his Goldwingnut videos on YouTube etc. so enjoyable getting updates on construction and new retail in TV. Always promoted TV. Always.

Why are they taking this action ? Perhaps to begin their own video production and push out private folks? Don’t they make enough $$$$. Disgusting IMO

[Dond1959]

Yea, I think the developer really stepped in it this time. Wiley has provided them with incredible free marketing and they seem to want to shut it down just because they don’t control it. Kind of crazy, hopefully they will reconsider and stop the blunder before it gets worse for them.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Tvflguy

The 4 small video production guys that take drone videos above TV and new areas being developed received Cease & Desist letters from TV attorneys. Telling them to STOP flying above TV and gave them 2 weeks to delete all their videos on sites etc.

????? We love Don Wiley and his Goldwingnut videos on YouTube etc. so enjoyable getting updates on construction and new retail in TV. Always promoted TV. Always.

Why are they taking this action ? Perhaps to begin their own video production and push out private folks? Don’t they make enough $$$$. Disgusting IMO

Well, starting their own video production would actually COST them $$$, so there's that...

That said, I think it's dumb of them to try to stop the other drone fliers... Unless of course, they are publishing incorrect information...