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There are times when Radio seems almost Third World in its efforts to catch up to other media, when it comes to technology and digital strategies.  But there’s one area where Radio is often ahead of the curve – email databases. At Jacobs Media, we have been fortunate to work and interact with a variety […]

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Now that AOL and CBS Radio have hooked up in what CEO Dan Mason says is a merger that "has instantly doubled our daily audience of listeners," it’s another victory for strong brands.  For years, AOL has offered generic streaming radio stations that were as exciting as wallpaper.  Now with 150 CBS Radio stations to […]

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There was a time only a decade or so ago in Rock Radio where we had it all to ourselves.  We controlled our music and our pop culture.  Sure, some of Rock’s featured bands would appear on Saturday Night Live, and there was always the competition from MTV.  But for the most part, if you […]

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While watching a recent streaming video segment from CNBC – "The Business of Innovation" – featuring Mel Karmazin, it reminded me of Mel’s talent for proofing ideas and forcing his people to exercise logic, strategy, and fiscal sense.  In the clip below, Mel talks about how Sirius came up with the idea of streaming television […]

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The passing of George Carlin this week brought many memories to mind, especially the controversy, the language, and indecency comparisons.  For many comedians and even DJs, Carlin was very influential in their career choices and even their development as entertainers. But there was another side to George that came to light, from ESPN fantasy sports […]

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The news of Tim Russert’s passing still seems unbelievable.  No one could have possibly anticipated this tragic event.  Yet, NBC News – after some in-depth, difficult meetings, to be sure – came up with a solid strategy for Meet the Press in an unprecedented election year.  They’ve called veteran news anchor, Tom Brokaw, out of […]

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Take a good look at the three pictures, and guess which one is the pirate: If you picked "C," you’re on the same page as musicFIRST spokesperson, Martin Machowsky, who was quoted as saying that broadcasting music without payment is "a form of piracy." So, first the RIAA goes after 14 year-olds who download music.  […]

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Struggling Chrysler is trying to do just about anything to get your attention – and to stimulate you to buy their vehicles.  The offer of $2.99 gas, while appealing on a very basic economic level, is apparently not moving cars and trucks off the lots. But in all their new ’09 vehicles, wireless Internet may […]

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Today’s guest blog comes from Paul Jacobs, who provides insight on the challenges of radio’s listening audience: Like all media, radio faces significant consumer and technology-based challenges that have been well-documented in this blog and others.  But there is a potential macro event taking place that radio requires awareness and action.  This is because a […]

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Here’s a revolutionary announcement – Fox is aggregating a group of 2,000 loyal viewers and "giving them a seat at the table in the decision-making process," according to Melva Benoit, a senior VP of audience intelligence with the network.  Holy NeoRadio! Of course, many radio stations have been engaging listeners via email databases for years […]

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I’m now thinking that the better question for radio might have been, "What’s the digital strategy?"  Gordon Borrell’s newest report, "Local Web Revenues," is very revealing.  Of course, local online advertising is exploding, but it’s the hurting newspaper business that is garnering the lion’s share of the $8.7 billion that was spent in 2007.  While […]

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Today’s guest blog from Keith Cunningham teaches us a lesson about great talent: Some may not know the Boston Celtics had the worst record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference last season.  Yes, the worst record.  The press was calling for coach Doc Rivers’ head, the fans were booing, and some fans even wore bags on […]

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In yesterday’s blog, we talked about how the automakers may need to pay more attention to teens in order to better understand how consumers will eventually use dashboard media. Too bad that radio never took that advice.  A new study from Coleman Insights indicates that we’re at a techno “tipping point” when it comes to […]

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As technology moves at lightning speed, it is increasingly difficult for radio companies (and all businesses) to track and respond to it – much less get ahead of it.  When you consider that iPods, Google, YouTube, and MySpace have only been around a few short years, it can be mind-boggling to even think about what […]

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As radio proceeds through tough financial times, marketing budgets (among other expenditures) have been slashed.  What type of impact do these cuts have, and how might they be hurting the medium’s long-term growth, as CEOs continue to tighten the belts? There’s no better Petri dish than right here in the State of Michigan where the […]

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In the midst of this musicFIRST fiasco, radio’s role in breaking music and artists continues to be minimized.  Of course to those of us in radio, this nearly "1984" spin about the truth is mind-boggling. But now, consumers weigh in on the topic.  A new Pew study – "The Internet and Consumer Choices" – reveals […]

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Our Tech Poll clearly shows the impact that iPods are having on the driving experience.  While iPod ownership continues to soar, more than half of these consumers say they can connect these devices into their cars.  It’s more proof that radio continues to fight a difficult "location war," especially in its long-time bastion – the […]

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