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When Chuck Daly coached the Detroit Pistons back in those “Bad Boys” days, he was constantly in search of ways to inspire the 12 millionaires on his bench.  After several years of managing the same core group, Daly admittedly starting running out of answers so he started watching TV evangelists for inspiration. I’m not that […]

Last week was another series of radio news items filled with DJ stories – most of it in the department of not-so-good-news. The week started with the thrilling resolution to the Bobby Bones should-I-stay-or-should-I-go drama.  (He stayed.) And it ended with the abrupt announcement that long-time radio legend and PLJ mainstay, Scott Shannon, was ending his career […]

Where were you when the Beatles hit the shores of America back in 1964 on this day? For many of you reading this blog post, you weren’t even on this planet yet.  But for those of us of a certain age, the memory is as indelible your recall of where you were and what you were […]

Talk about put-downs. As he’s headed out the door and handing off the show to Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno takes a final shot at rival Jimmy Kimmel: “He is a radio guy at heart.” Jay goes onto define what he’s talking about – Kimmel’s a competitor who uses tactics like “attack(ing) the guy on the […]

So it turns out I have something in common with Facebook.  We’re both Aquarians. I celebrated the anniversary of my birth last week, and it turns out that it’s in the same time frame as Facebook’s birthday as we covered in this space earlier in the week. You all know the Facebook birthday phenomenon.  When […]

Most people probably agree that only Seattleites enjoyed Sunday’s “Big Game.”  But as is often the case, the ads were interesting this year (especially the ones I remember before I fell asleep in the third quarter). The casting of Bob Dylan in the new Chrysler ad was inspired, especially for someone like me who’s connected […]

The worst thing about being on the receiving end of a lot of data is that it often conflicts with itself, making it even more challenging to get our collective heads around what’s really happening. You’d think that with a monolith the size of Facebook, its long-term status might look pretty clear.  But while the future may be […]

We’ve all been a part of this situation in radio station strategizing.  The research company comes to town to deliver the data, the consultant flies in, the corporate staff shows up, and the station team is in the conference room.  And collectively, they’re all supposed to figure it out. But while having lots of great […]

It is amazing how serendipity and luck always seem to occur just when you least expect it.  It didn’t take long for savvy observers to note that the two Super Bowl teams – the Seahawks and Broncos – are headquartered in states that have made pot smoking legal.  As we gear up for the “Big Game” […]

One of the worst offshoots of a struggling economy and a generation that is being punished as a result of it is a lot of misunderstanding about Millennials themselves.  We like to talk about entire generations as if they have common traits and characteristics.  On the one hand, most of us comprehend the dangers of […]

What’s just about the worst thing that can happen when you work in radio? Well, I’m sure that question triggered no shortage of thoughts, from format attacks to that big cancellation. But really the nuclear problem is when a station gets knocked off the air – whether it’s for five minutes or painfully, longer than […]

I first saw James Cridland speak at “Convergence” a few years back and immediately knew that we had to get him on the Jacobs Summit roster the following December.  You may recall his mantra was that “radio needs to speak in one voice” in order to achieve true effectiveness in an increasingly cluttered and competitive […]

Today’s post is a collaborative effort from Paul and me.  We’ve spent a lot of time together already this year, highlighted by those three crazy days in Las Vegas at CES.  As we continue to assess the many changes that are already taking place in just the first month of the new year, today’s post […]

It’s been interesting watching Howard Stern take a well-deserved victory lap as he reaches the 60-year milestone.   I remember when he turned 40, Infinity Broadcasting sprung for commemorative wristwatches.  Howard’s come a long way. I’ve been fascinated by some of Howard’s recollections during his “birthday week.”  Aside from some of the amazing rock star tributes, it’s […]

There are times that working in radio can make you wonder if we’ve been left behind when it comes to important and emerging digital trends. Looking back over the past couple decades, the radio industry has been challenged in its ability to participate in a number of new media opportunities.  From iPods to satellite radio, broadcasters have […]

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ll know immediately where this post is headed. Because with House of Cards now a Golden Globe winning series, Netflix has officially changed the game for TV viewing. In yesterday’s post, the question about whether Pandora is in fact “radio” was at the center point of the discussion.  The same […]

So here we go again.  Another year, and more denial and defensiveness about Pandora. According to an Inside Radio survey of broadcasters late last year, two-thirds say Pandora (and services like it) poses no real threat to radio. Are these guys living in the same world we are?  Do they talk to consumers?  Do they […]