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As more and more businesses and institutions are under distress because of the weak economy, it should come as no surprise that music festivals aren't getting a hall pass.  The LA Times reports that many are under serious financial pressure, while some are going on hiatus or simply shutting down.  The Langerado Music Festival in […]

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Last week proved once again the power of video streaming – in both incredible and horrifying ways.  On the touching, moving side, Britain's Got Talent gave birth to another star.  This time, it was the unlikeliest of the unlikeliest – dowdy Susan Boyle knocked out the judges on the British version of American Idol.  This […]

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A recent research survey by Epsilon confirms data that we continue to see in our national studies of radio's email clubs – a majority of consumers (57%) have a positive impression of companies when they receive email from them.  They're also more likely to buy products from companies that send them emails. That confirms our Tech […]

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As dismal as the current climate can often seem, new and sometimes odd opportunities continue to arise, often in the most unlikely of places.  We are truly learning about who is versatile, who is stuck in the past, and who is turning out to be a pretty good lemonade maker. Adam Carolla falls into that […]

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One of the back stories to the economic nightmare is all about those dashed dreams and disappointments that have impacted so many people in radio.  Whether you're a DJ who no longer has access to an audience, an out of work salesperson without nothing to sell, a programmer brimming with great ideas but no station […]

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Here are some impressive stats:  the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings now hold the longest current streak of consecutive winning seasons – 17.  That’s longer than any team in any professional sport, but the Yankees hold the all-time record of 39 seasons, set from 1926-64. That’s not to take anything away from […]

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You're Major League Baseball.  You have a great product that has huge interest around the country, not to mention around the globe.  You're trying to get your games on as many platforms as possible, while building revenue along the way.  Sure, you're on satellite radio.  But with all the troubles they have, and the lack […]

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You have to hand it to the Newspaper Association of America.  When they book a keynote speaker, they don't mess around or worry about angering their membership.  Case in point:  Google CEO Eric Schmidt closed out their convention last week, a controversial but important player in the new media game.  I don't know about you, […]

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As March Madness comes to an end – hey, Michigan State did their very best – it continues to amaze me how many media outlets and personalities utilized their version of brackets to have some fun and make a little noise.  We were pleased that many of our stations hopped on for the ride.  Rachael […]

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If you're wondering what ever happened to all those gold and platinum album pictures that you sent us last month as part of the "Going for the Gold" promotion to protest the performance tax, stop wondering. The NAB has launched a new website – https://www.noperformancetax.org. Right there on the front page is a dynamic digital mosaic […]

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It's getting more and more painful to read the radio trades these days.  It seems like every morning, there's another raft of companies running into financial problems, flirting with bankruptcy, and firing more employees.  As the names have scrolled by over the past year, you cannot help but react personally as a person who has […]

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You have to give KISS, Craig Lambert, and Tommy Nast credit when it comes to re-energizing old brands, and giving fans a voice.  The newest twist on this 35 year-old institution is to let the audience determine where KISS will play this year on their North American tour.  Using Eventful as their back end, KISS […]

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Here’s a guest blog from Keith Cunningham, who continues to be inspired by some of the incredible metrics being generated by Facebook. In the inaugural Jacobs Media Tech Poll, the “cell phone only” problem was first discovered, and there was also a little thing called the iPod that looked to have some promise.  What a […]

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I was recently in Toronto at a meeting about iPhone apps (apparently, a recession-proof business), and was startled by the skyline.  I'm not talking about new building construction (which is happening, by the way), but by the number of radio station billboards I spotted in a short period of time.  It was like going back […]

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It is fascinating that at a time when there are real signs that streaming is working – in both PPM and in sales revenue – some broadcasters are pulling the plug.  I'm not talking about Jerry Lee's B101 because I believe his cessation is about protesting musicFIRST, rather than trying to save a few bucks. […]

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Jonathan Knee is an investment banker who has lately been advising the newspaper industry about bankruptcies and selling off failing newspapers.  He is also director of the media program at the Columbia Business School and has co-authored a soon-to-be-released book called Curse of the Mogul: What’s Wrong with the World’s Leading Media Companies? He recently […]

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What should a personality do when he/she moves to a new town and needs to learn the lay of the land?  Most would advise him to get out, see the city, show up in as many places as possible, and get to know the people and the market.  For some reason, however, it's often difficult […]

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That guy you see in the boarding area, frantically downloading another app on his iPhone, would have to be our Keith Cunningham.  Enjoy his guest blog: There’s a recession going on, but you’d never know it by looking at what’s going on in the mobile device world.  The iPhone app model has totally changed how […]

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Today's guest blog from our own Paul Jacobs mentions how radio should seize the opportunity to grab advertising dollars from the sinking newspaper industry. I knew today's blog post title might get your attention.  No, it's not a new TARP model for banks.  And it's not what GM hopes to get during the next round […]

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We all like to think that if or when disaster strikes a city or town, local radio will step up and do the right thing.  But oftentimes, stations are too busy or caught up in their own agendas to really recognize the need to "break format" and speak directly to their market. >Click here to […]

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