When WRIF/Detroit (Greater Media) took the plunge and changed morning shows in the spring of 2013, it was a big risk. The station parted company with the perennially successful Drew and Mike Show which had long dominated the Detroit area. Dave and Chuck the Freak were the young guns working across the street at 89X, […]
Read MorejacoBLOG
Our founder, Fred Jacobs, discusses the issues facing broadcasters today.
The 3Ds – Debt, Denial, & Disruption
How’s this for a shot across the bow? The co-founder of Lyft (a shared car service similar to Uber), John Zimmer, made the claim this week that in five years, most millennials won’t own a car. If he’s right, the automotive industry would be revolutionized, and of course, massively disrupted. The digital revolution has changed our […]
Read MoreFlamingo Power!
Recently, my good friend and former research cohort, Jon Coleman, brought some sad news to my attention. During a very busy news cycle, you may have missed the story that the inventor of the plastic lawn pink flamingo, Don Featherstone, passed away in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It turns out Featherstone was a classically trained painter and […]
Read MoreWho’s Broadcasting The World Cup?
You could hear the fireworks throughout all 50 states the other night. And I’m not talking about Independence Day celebrations or the neighborhood kids shooting off Roman candles. This was about celebrating an amazing victory for a team of young women competing at the highest level on the world stage. On Sunday night, a record TV […]
Read More“Do you mean the French philosopher?”
I have held off on commenting, posting, or bloviating about what is already the most uttered word radio in 2015 – Voltair. Until now. Like talking politics at a dinner party, this topic about radio ratings on steroids is something that many broadcasters are tied up in knots about. And for good reason. Before all hell broke […]
Read Morein•de•pend•ent
From a radio standpoint, what does it mean to be “independent?” How do you define it? Some radio stations position themselves this way, suggesting local, family-owned, free of corporate dictates. Others believe that you can achieve independence even if you’re working for a global company with thousands of employees. For people working in radio, it’s the ability to […]
Read MoreYou Are Now Leaving Pottersville
Everywhere we look, we see the same signs. Businesses that are serious about remaining relevant over the next five years turning the focus over to consumers because they are in control. The days when big institutions – banks, telecommunication companies, and media companies – operated in a top-down fashion where they dictated the rules are […]
Read MoreThe R Word
The radio industry is going through tumultuous times accompanied by a cascade of conflicting data and anecdotal evidence that suggest the medium stronger than ever or as challenged as it’s been since the advent of television. On the one hand, Nielsen tells us that 93% of Americans listen every week, affirming radio’s amazing reach. A New York Times article yesterday […]
Read More
Radio’s Most Innovative: Dave Ramsey
This may come as a shock to some people but not every talk show on the radio is about politics. In a world of syndicated talk radio shows, there is one host that stands apart: Dave Ramsey. And in fact, his model may be the most successful of all. Consider this: The Dave Ramsey Show […]
Read MoreMVP
As radio stations and personalities have become more immersed in social media, there’s that side conversation about what it means to recognize and serve fans in the space. The essence of social is service and acknowledgment, and yet, this continues to be a conversation without a solid conclusion. So often, station staffers and personalities find […]
Read MoreOne Bad Apple?
Much of the focus the last couple weeks has been on Apple’s launch of its new streaming music service. While not an across-the-board perception, Apple has come under a great deal of criticism from many different camps. Some predict their new entry will have little impact on Pandora, Spotify, and others because it offers nothing […]
Read MoreThe Death of the Non-Compete?
It is fascinating that some of the weapons that radio management historically wielded are becoming obsolete. As we’ve discussed in this blog before, the ability to “disappear” a DJ or show has been usurped by fans who immediately start their protest Facebook pages. While this rarely results in a change of heart by management, it […]
Read MoreWait Wait…Don’t Book Kim Kardashian!
A story that made the rounds in public radio circles last week has now broken out into the mainstream media. It all started when NPR’s wildly successful, Peabody Award winning weekly news quiz show – Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! – had the audacity to book Kim Kardashian. Apparently, the main force behind Keeping Up With The […]
Read More
Radio’s Most Innovative: Paul Lamere
Paul Lamere is one of those oddities in the media and music business. He is truly a left and right brain kind of guy. He has expertise at writing code, but also has a strong appreciation and love for music. That interesting combination of skills has allowed Paul to see the changing world of media and […]
Read MoreHappy Birthday, Dear Drive
One of the wonderful benefits consultants derives from this often crazy line of work is the ability to see and hear a lot of radio stations in action. As a result, you witness some truly wonderful best practices, but if there’s such a thing, “worst practices,” too. At times on this blog, we have lamented […]
Read MoreIt’s an Apps, Apps, Apps, Apps World
Today’s post is about one of our favorite topics – mobile apps. These little jewels have become the lifeblood of the Internet – the ways in which we better utilize the resources – utilities, entertainment, information – on our mobile devices. And as we saw clearly at CES earlier this year, the Internet of Things […]
Read MoreMissing The Podcasting Boat?
Just when you thought public radio and podcasting were on a serious roll, KPFT/Houston programmer Ernesto Aguillar has thrown cold water over both. In fact, his recent blog post reads more like the ice bucket challenge. I encourage you to read it here. While public radio may be leading the league in podcast downloads and is […]
Read MoreSpeed Thrills
We have talked a lot in recent months about the need for speed. As we continue to be inundated with content from seemingly infinite sources, our ability to process all that entertainment and information erodes. And because many of us are constantly running – devices in hand (or on our wrists) – we have even less […]
Read More
Radio’s Most Innovative: GeoTraffic
Perhaps there are three sure things in life – death, taxes, and traffic. That last dependable annoyance has been a financial boon to radio for decades. But all that may be changing. At last year’s DASH Conference, Edison Research President Larry Rosin delivered a presentation called “Changing Route: The Future of Traffic Reporting” where he […]
Read MoreFrom the Mouths of Interns
There’s a lot of online and water cooler chatter about how the new Stephen Colbert version of The Late Show will fare. But Mike Stern is still pining over the end of David Letterman’s amazing run. The final show was a winner, as was that very last “Top 10 List.” Here’s a guest post that’s […]
Read More- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 115
- 116
- 117
- 118
- 119
- …
- 267
- Next Page »
