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Our Paul Jacobs was invited to present at this year's "Strategic Digital Leadership Summit for Public Radio Stations," held on the USC campus.  Here are some of his takeaways from this year's conference: We all know how challenging a year this has been.  We've been inundated with news about layoffs, cutbacks, and rumors about media […]

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Here's the dilemma – more and more consumers are streaming video, and the more they do it, the more they like it.  We continue to track this trend in our annual Technology Polls, both among commercial radio rockers and Public Radio listeners. But as we know too well, most radio people have not been schooled […]

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Those of you who know our company are aware that we are based in metro Detroit.  We sarcastically refer to the Motor City these days as "Ground Zero" because there's no place the recession has hit harder than right here.  While only a small percentage of our revenue here at Jacobs Media is derived from […]

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Those of you who know our company are aware that we are based in metro Detroit.  We sarcastically refer to the Motor City these days as "Ground Zero" because there's no place the recession has hit harder than right here.  While only a small percentage of our revenue here at Jacobs Media is derived from […]

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As the online music world continues to be defined and refined, Apple's purchase of Lala Media is noteworthy.  While no one can dispute the success of iTunes as a music discovery and revenue generating portal, the process of finding new songs and artists online has morphed considerably over the past few years. I discovered this […]

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For the past 14 years, we have put together, produced, and pulled off annual Jacobs Summits, first with Gavin, then for more than a decade with R&R, and since last year, with the NAB.  We've learned a great deal about the art of booking, scheduling, and presentation, especially during the past few years when many […]

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You have to give Radio Ink's Eric Rhoads a lot of credit.  If you missed it before the holiday, he is now "all in" for HD radio, on the strength of an inexpensive radio that he helped design in concert with iBiquity.   The essence of Eric's initiative is that among HD radio's many sand traps, […]

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In the all-important lexicon of how best to report one's news and views, Twitter has made a left turn perhaps into the right place to maximize its ability to rapidly spread the word to networks of users. You may recall that from the beginning, Twitter's 140 character or less question was "What are you doing?"  […]

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While reading a recent "Research Brief" from the Center for Media Research, I was reminded of that old game show, The Newlywed Game. Now I know what you're thinking, but it's all about connecting with someone you should know.  If you remember that old show, host Bob Eubanks would try to trip up newly married […]

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While reading a recent "Research Brief" from the Center for Media Research, I was reminded of that old game show, The Newlywed Game. Now I know what you're thinking, but it's all about connecting with someone you should know.  If you remember that old show, host Bob Eubanks would try to trip up newly married […]

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The new technology era has been challenging and often frustrating to radio people.  Many struggle with ways to integrate different platforms, like mobile and streaming.  Others grapple with how to utilize social networking tools, like Facebook or Twitter. It is somewhat understandable that the radio industry hasn't found those "best practices" that would enable it […]

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The new technology era has been challenging and often frustrating to radio people.  Many struggle with ways to integrate different platforms, like mobile and streaming.  Others grapple with how to utilize social networking tools, like Facebook or Twitter. It is somewhat understandable that the radio industry hasn't found those "best practices" that would enable it […]

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One of the big franchise food successes of this year is the $5 footlong, first popularized by Subway, and now being copied by a number of competitors.  This innovative campaign generated $38 billion in sales nationwide, and vaulted Subway into the Top 10 fast-food brands in the U.S.  And it happened in the most difficult […]

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If you doubt the power of Facebook and social networking sites, consider the Oxford Dictionary's choice for word of the year: UNFRIEND As we have discussed in this space with data and anecdotes, Facebook has been the story of the year, connecting adults of all ages, as this social networking site goes mainstream. Of course […]

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When it comes to the holiday season, the music that would make most radio operators happy is the ringing of the cash register (with all due respect to Brenda Lee, Elmo & Patsy, and Bing Crosby).   And as we have suggested to these very same cluster managers, station owners, and corporate executives, having a cool, […]

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Last week, I boarded a plane only to find out that the FAA's computer system had gone down due to a computer glitch. So there we were, already boarded, just waiting for the plane to take off, and the captain comes on the PA to give us an "update." "Ladies and gentleman, as you've no […]

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Say it ain't so.   Turns out that a new research study conducted in the UK shows that consumers who steal music pay for more music.  Yup, these "pirates" spend an average of £77 a year on music – £33 more than the honest bloke who would never download music illegally.  It’s noteworthy that in Great […]

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This is a story about reinvention.  It's about taking stock of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  It's about facing up to reality, and responding with creativity and courage.  Many former radio employees are facing this tough task right now, as they face months of being out of work, with few prospects ahead.  But widening […]

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