In just a matter of days, we’re going to be bombarded with two types of end-of-stories in the publications and feeds we reads:
- Best of’s – Top movies, TV shows, songs, greatest sports moments of the year, best memes, etc.
- Predictions – We know they’re almost meaningless because no one re-checks them a year later (but we eat them up anyway).
This year, you’ll get both from JacoBLOG. The rollout of some of the best/most read posts of the year blessedly begins Monday and runs through January 3rd.
But predictions? Not my usual fare. And while I’m not about to waste your time with my swami hat and crystal ball, I do want to share three words we’re likely to see a lot of in 2026. So, while they’re not exactly prognostications per se, it’s always helpful to be on the lookout for common themes that can provide some order to our jobs—and our lives.
That’s how Paul and I will approach CES in just three short weeks. We don’t just hit the floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center hoping to randomly run into some cool stuff (although that happens anyway). We go to CES with intention and purpose. We have themes in mind we’re scanning for—continuations of things we’ve seen in past years, emerging trends we think will be meaningful this year, and of course, “oh wow” things we’re hoping to see.
And that’s what today’s blog post is about—queuing up three words, common threads, or through-lines that I’d like you to put on your BOLO list of things to be aware of. None is especially brand new—they’ve each had their share of “moments” in past years. But my sense is the time may be right for the planets to line up for these trends that just might help us understand what the heck is happening in radio—and the larger media world in 2026.
So, in no particular order:
1. Personalization – Again, nothing new here. But the predictive quality and speed of AI make it easier for organizations and brands to serve up content and experiences for us that are just meant for US. In essence, this is part of what playlist platforms have done from the jump—allow us to format music our way. Spotify seems to be dominating this market, and it’s personalized products and features like “Spotify Wrapped” that helps them maintain their lead.
It plays a key role in social media, where algorithms generate a feature-like FYP—the “For You Page” that is all about serving up things for the individual based on consumption history, likes, shares, etc.
I found an interesting “deep dive” blog post from Shopify that does a nice job of touring personalization possibilities for brands.
It’s been coming in cars for some time now, and goes beyond giving drivers three different seat and mirror settings. This week, Nissan announced a nifty feature available in a number of their new vehicles that lets drivers tailor the sound the vehicle’s audio system using the built-in equalizer.
They’re calling the feature “Personalized Sound,” being pitched as a system that adjusts to your individual hearing. While the “guts” of the system are complex, setting it up requires downloading the app and taking a three-minute test where you give feedback on what you’re hearing. Other drivers of the vehicle can add their profiles to your car or truck’s system.
WTRA? (or “What’s the radio application?) Because it’s a mass medium, broadcast radio has long struggled with the personalization game. After all, it’s about broadcasting the same content to hopefully large numbers of same people, hearing the same program in real time.
But podcasting broadcast content (which many stations do) allow for time-shifting, but also content-shifting by slicing and dicing a show any number of ways.
Contests and promotions have the ability for personalization. The old standard, “Pick A Trip” offers winners the choice of a number of getaways, like a vacation to an island paradise, a major metro big city, or that hunting cabin in the woods, or Paris, New York, or Tokyo for those major giveaways.
Public radio stations can do their own version of personalization with premium items given to donors and financial supporters looking for a little something in exchange for their monetary contributions.
And then there’s the email database, an asset that radio owns (unlike social media, for example). But it requires much work, time, and investment to learn more about your “loyalty club members” rather than just sending out “email blasts”—the opposite of personalization.
By understanding your listeners’ discreet tastes, your station can better connect them with the content, promotions, and even prizes they truly appreciate—as opposed to those dreadful ninth caller contests where the winner asks, “What did I win?”
Again, personalization doesn’t come easy for most radio stations, but if you maintain a focus on how to inject it into everyday programming, promotions, and even sales, you can reap the benefits this consumer trend provides.
2. Storytelling – Nope, I didn’t originate this term or the concept either. Conceptually, good storytelling has been around since cave dwellers spun tales sitting around the campfire (once they invented it!).
We use the term or concept of storytelling a lot without always thinking about why it’s important, why it matters, and we need to make room for it. In fact, we often take it for granted.
I was reminded of this when I happened across a story in the Wall Street Journal last week reminding us of storytelling’s importance. In “Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers,” by Katie Deighton, note her opening salvo: the percentage of job posts in the U.S. on LinkedIn that contain the word “storytelling” doubled this year.
Here’s a follow-up radio’s CEOs will be able to relate to: The word “storyteller” was uttered on earnings calls 100 times more in 2025 than the previous year. It is now being used to position a company’s trajectory nearly four times as much as it was a decade ago.
Whether you’re a radio station, a window company, or a real estate broker, you need to be able to tell the story of your company, your brand, YOU. As the Journal story points out, more and more companies need those who can spin a little gold to write social media posts and blogs, produce podcasts, create case studies, and other content that shines the light on brands.
Dodging PPM “meter migration” would seem to run counter to the storytelling paradigm. As broadcast radio stations tend to keep things tight, it becomes challenging, if not impossible, to execute a storytelling strategy. In that CBS Saturday Morning piece on radio I blogged about, Broadway Bill Lee talked about the challenge of trying to squeeze in compelling content—much less storytelling—in 8-second windows.
On SiriusXM these days, they are giving their talent (and they have some fine storytellers on their team on music stations) more time to tell stories about the songs. As Vh1 happily learned back in the ’80s, Behind the Music and similar shows were all about the stories behind the songs—or the artists themselves.
Storytelling is the organic force that has vaulted podcasts into mainstream popularity. Janda Lane’s award-winning (WDRV) podcast, Behind the Song is Exhibit A in how storytelling can be done at the station level. And parent company, Hubbard has invested in the creation of Classic Rock U, a syndicated show hosted by YouTube star Adam Reader, a great storyteller.
WTRA? – Radio companies might want to rethink some of those pink slips reserved for talent in a world that cherishes great storytelling. Rather than institute them based on salary and other non-performance based factors, re-evaluating skills and talent with storytelling in mind might be a better way to prioritize.
And as for the sales department, results are results. But a seller who can effectively weave the story of the brand and help clients visualize how it can work for their businesses is worth her weight in gold.
These days, more and more stations are in the hunt for people who can tell stories via social media, short videos, and the other new tools of the trade. Hang onto these people for dear life.
3. Collab – Yes, short for collaboration. It’s a trend we’ve been seeing at CES and talking about for more than a decade.
A great example we’ve been watching on the show floor is the Afeela, a new collaboration between Honda and Sony. The former knows cars but truly is limited when it comes to sound, media, and tech. Meantime, Sony is essentially clueless about cars but knows audio, and that’s where Honda comes in.
A key to a great collab is when the mashup of two brands creates a 1+1=3 (or more) result for the participating parties. In today’s radio trades, it’s the story of iHeartMedia and Netflix working together on podcasts.
Netflix needs this content to expand their offerings beyond traditional categories like movies, TV shows, and documentaries. iHeart has the video podcast content but needs Netflix’s superior reach (just think about their subscriber lists). Like Sony and Honda, joining forces is a no-brainer for both companies.
As Radio Ink pointed out, this effort marks iHeart’s first foray into “video-first distribution.” For Netflix, they finally get to play in the coveted podcast space.
This past fall, it was Audacy hooking up with sports influencer company MOGL. This collab connects Audacy’s impressive sports radio stations with MOGL’s network of celebrity athletes and their brand influencer efforts.
WTRA? – This question has been answered by the two above examples. But to tie the bow, remember how iHeartRadio and Audacy collaborated with each other last June to add the latter’s 240+ radio stations to the former’s streaming app.
As we’ve seen in the tech space especially via CES, strategic collabs save companies time and money—two elements the radio broadcasting industry desperately needs more of in 2026.
Let’s hope we see more of these “3 little words” next year.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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IMHO, Honda needed a storyteller or two to assist in naming their new vehicle. When I googled–to see if maybe it was a foreign language–this is what came up:
try not to laugh when you read how the branding company explainwhat the name means. . —— “Afeela expresses an interactive relationship where people “feel” mobility as an intelligent entity, and mobility “feels” people and society
using sensing and network IT technologies,” the company said. .
Laureatte, I learned this a couple years ago when the two companies announced their collab. Sounds more like an anti-depressent drug to me. Brand names matter, as your comment suggests.
LOL! As a longtime psych RN–first job at Ypsi State Hospital–I wholeheartedly agree. My favorite line for new vlients is, “Yes, in fact, 30 years as a psych nurse has qualified me to work in public radio.” There is a fair bit of truth to that;)
I would say radio in general.
What three keywords does Fred Jacobs suggest to simplify a radio station’s strategic and tactical planning?