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If there was any question in your mind about smartphones having altered the human brain and the way business gets done, look no further than Senator John McCain’s “gotcha” moment during last week’s Syria hearings. Caught in the act of playing poker on his iPhone, McCain could only try to laugh off the incident, but […]

The NAB RAB Radio Show is next week and I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there.  At this 2013 convention, there are some strong panels, keynotes, and events, including a Super Session featuring former jocks (not DJs, but athletes) who have made it on the radio (Bobby Hebert and Amani Toomer each of whom excelled for teams […]

It’s just a couple of weeks before this year’s NAB RAB Radio Show in Orlando. At this year’s convention, there are some great panels, keynotes, and events, including a Super Session featuring former jocks who have made it on the radio (Bobby Hebert and Amani Toomer have each excelled in the Great Lakes State), a […]

Can you say déjà vu? Way back in the mid-‘80s when I got Classic Rock going in markets from Los Angeles to Chicago to Detroit to D.C., the death knell for the format came quickly.  For most Classic Rock startups at that time, the run-up was spectacular – and quick.  But oftentimes, in just a […]

It’s interesting that the old AT&T “Reach out and touch someone” slogan still resonates today. In this post, Bill Jacobs takes a moment out of his busy schedule to implore DJs, shows, and hosts to do the same thing for fans.   As our world becomes more impersonal, these hi-touch moments take on even greater importance.  Read on. […]

OK, I’ll say it – Rock ‘n’ Roll needs Miley Cyrus. Or someone who is outrageous, ridiculous, fun, and willing to pretty much do and say anything. When the best thing a musical genre has going for it is the news that 70 year-old Paul McCartney plans to continue touring, that’s a definite message about […]

In just a couple of short weeks, Jacobs Media will turn 30 years old (more on this self-celebratory event in a future JacoBLOG post). And as a reluctant entrepreneur back in the early ’80s, I now enjoy reading the advice of other successful start-up mavens. What did they do that I didn’t?  What did I […]

No activity in the world symbolizes the labor experience more than the manufacturing of the American car.  So as we head into a three-day weekend that celebrates the end of summer with barbeques, swimming, golf, and other activities, this post is a reminder of just how important the automobile has been to all of us here […]

It seems like since Late Night With David Letterman first became the TV show that many of radio’s morning teams tried to emulate, it’s been all about generating “water cooler content” – the stuff that leads to those valuable conversations in the workplace, dorm rooms, and hair salons. But today, that chatter is occurring socially, […]

Bill Jacobs may be watching too much TV, but the good news is that he’s seeing qualities in popular television series characters that just might have some application to what we’re doing in radio. – FJ While not everyone is into the hit AMC show Breaking Bad, it’s clear that the show has huge momentum […]

Pandora had some big announcements last week that sounded an awful lot like they’re channeling broadcast radio. First, they walked back their 40 hour limit, installed just six months ago.  At the time, we described limiting listening as being almost un-American.  They must have come to that conclusion, too. Chief Strategy Office Tim Westergren rationalized […]

The title of today’s post may end being thought of us as famous last words, right alongside “The Internet is a fad” and “Why would I want to check email on my cell phone?” I can think of three big reasons to believe that things are going to be changing in the streaming revenue department – […]

I’m not sure which radio manager was the one who first said to me, “This would be a great business except for all the people.”  But at times, I can empathize. The fact is, radio isn’t the scalable business that many investors and corporate mavens think it is.  And dealing with talent is often one […]

One of the hot topics in radio for several years – but reaching a fascinating apex at this point in time – revolves around streaming and whether stations are getting proper credit and compensation for their audience usage numbers. As pure-plays continue to grow their reach, as radio grapples with single-line reporting, as the automotive […]

Last weekend, Detroit Public Television CEO and former CBS Detroit market manager Rich Homberg sent me a feature story produced by MSU’s Russ White for WKAR Radio all about the legendary Detroit morning star, J.P. McCarthy. It’s the 18th anniversary of McCarthy’s passing, stricken by a rare blood disease that led to his death at 62.  […]

A new study from TVB says a lot about how local television is able to both aggregate a large audience and generate active social media behavior.  In TV, second screen viewing and fan engagement are major topics of conversation. This research conducted in partnership with Colligent, a social affinity mapping company, looked at the social […]