After last night’s Academy Awards show, you may be happy, sad, or surprised by the outcome. Or maybe just a bit bleary-eyed. But you may also be wondering why they can’t produce an Oscar’s ceremony half as entertaining as the films it celebrates.
But that aside, the annual rite designed to honor the best of the film industry is also a reminder about just how many people it requires to make a great film. Last week, I finally saw Life of Pi, an amazing film and technical accomplishment by director Ang Lee. While it played to a mostly full theater, there were only four of us left when the credits finished rolling. I am always amazed at the hundreds and hundreds of people – producers, animators, gaffers, caterers, animal trainers, and best boys it takes to produce something of this magnitude and quality.
And it’s a reminder that in the radio industry, some of those same rules apply. In fact, it has become far more difficult to produce great programming because of the budget cutbacks suffered by every radio station over the past four years – commercial and public.
It’s people doing more with less and for less – not a long-term winning strategy. And that’s why events like the Oscars should take place in radio – and not to celebrate the 40 most powerful, or the best programmers, executives, or consultants.
We should also be honoring the people in our buildings and our organizations who never get written up in the trades, who aren’t invited to speak at conventions and on panels, and who won’t be involved in any contract negotiations.
As Seth Godin wrote in Linchpin, it’s about being indispensable. Buzz Knight at Greater Media has celebrated these unsung superstars at his stations, and it’s something that every company, cluster, and stations could and should be doing every year.
At Jacobs Media, it would have to be Elnora Lowe (pictured), the person who puts together these blog posts every day, as well as handling a myriad of diverse tasks in a seamless, cheerful way. You know how there are simply some people that when you give them an assignment, you can move onto the next task and not worry about whether it got done? That’s her.
Who’s your “best supporting” cast member – the person who does it all, never complains, and always finds a way to do more to support your enterprise?
In lieu of a gold statuette, it might be in order to give them a thank-you, a hug, or maybe even a raise.
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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