The audio space heated up in 2021, thanks to new players like Clubhouse, as well as continued investment from some of the world’s biggest tech companies. Today’s “Best of” post looks at the audio revolution from many angles. At the time it was written, radio broadcasters were asking lots of questions about how they might participate in this exciting audio megatrend. They still are.
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Our founder, Fred Jacobs, discusses the issues facing broadcasters today.
A Radio Career
At one point or another, we all get asked “the question.” Would you advise a high school kid to pursue a career in radio? Of course, it’s complicated. Today’s “Best of” blog post is my personal favorite of 2021 – partially because all I had to do was tee it up. It’s about the end of a 45-year radio career. It is eloquent and timely at this time of the year…and our lives. And you might come up with a better answer to “the question.”
Read MoreIf Radio Won’t Reinvent Itself, Maybe Someone Else Will
“Reinvent Radio” – It’s almost become a mantra at industry conferences, virtual meetups, and strategic meeting. And yet, broadcast radio – year in and year out – sounds pretty much the same. Tech companies – Spotify, Apple, Slacker – have tried their hand at radio, with scant success. In this “Best of” post from the fall, we looked at a new initiative from Amazon – “Project Mic,” their newest attempt to reshape a 100 year-old medium.
Read MoreIs Anyone Really LISTENING To Radio?
How many times have you heard that we’re living in the middle of an audio renaissance – this week? While consumers are enjoying audio from myriad sources – radio, streaming, the podcasts, etc. – the ways in which they engage with and pay attention to audio differs greatly. In today’s “Best of” blog post from this past June, we look at an eye-opening research study that will help you – especially programmers and sellers – gain perspective. This one’s big.
Read More“Congratulations! You’ve Been Snubbed Once Again By The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame!”
For today’s “Best of” post, it’s a journey back to last February. The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame had just announced its 2021 nominees. And already, millions of music fans were hacked off. In this sarcastic post, I looked back at some of the Hall’s historically lame choices, with assurances that eventually, your favorite artist will one day be inducted. Until then, there’s always Twitter. And to Fela Kuti fans everywhere (you know who you are), my sincerest apologies.
Read MoreWhy The “Howard Stern Question” Works For Almost All Radio Stations
Understanding a radio station’s “chemistry” – the combination of factors that makes it successful – is a key to surviving and thriving in our highly competitive media landscape. Sixteen years after leaving terrestrial radio, Howard Stern’s legacy is for every station to discover its Brand DNA. And like a simple litmus test, it can often be learned by asking just one simple question. Today’s “Best of” post goes right to the heart of the question. How important is personality to your station – and to radio?
Read MoreCan Harley-Davidson Jump Over The Demographic Cliff?
Welcome to “Best of JacoBLOG” for 2021. Today’s journey goes back tot last February, and a post about Harley-Davidson, that venerable Baby Boomer brand, that’s fallen on hard times in recent years. Sales were down-trending long before COVID, and a new CEO has taken over the helm in an effort to turn things around. Today’s “Best of” blog post lists a 6-pack of challenges Harley is facing – and they’ll have a similar ring to what we’re experiencing in radio. Have a beer, get your motor runnin’, and check it out.
Read MoreIt Happened On The Radio
Chances are, you heard about those deadly tornadoes that blew through Kentucky. But you may not have heard about a radio station in Princeton, Kentucky, that continues to proudly serve its ravaged and broken community. It’s a great radio story. And it’s our responsibility to tell it.
Read MoreFWIW: Millennials Are More Apt To Take A Stand Than Baby Boomers
Back in the late Sixties, rock n’ roll music was steeped in protest. And much of it spilled over to FM rock radio. Back then, Baby Boomers were the activists. Today – a half century later – it is Millennials who are more apt than their parents to take a stand for or against a product, company, or a brand. Today’s #TBT post looks at this generational shift, it highlights one of the greatest on-air protests in radio history, and it speaks to the social justice movement that would follow the next year.
Read MoreWill 2022 Be “The Year Of The Churn?”
The end of the year is a time for reassessment, whether we’re talking about our health – physically, mentally, and financially. When it comes to the latter, a new study shows that mounting subscription fees for on-demand content will face a day of reckoning when those January credit card statements show up. Yes, advantage radio, IF….
Read MoreIn Radio Today, M.A.P.s Are The New Megatrend*
We’ve become used to megatrends in the worlds of media and technology: data, Artificial Intelligence, audio. All have become part of our daily conversation. But another emergent wave in broadcasting is M.A.P.s – mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. Hardly a day goes by anymore when we’re not reading about one. So, what do they mean to a traditional industry like radio, and what can we expect to happen next?
Read MoreWhy Stalled Out Smart Speaker Sales Will Hurt Radio Broadcasters
A new research study released late last week reveals that smart speaker ownership has plateaued. For the radio broadcasting business, this may be an ominous sign. During COVID, in particular, listening to radio on these devices showed marked increases. Today’s blog post talks about the smart speaker space, and actions radio broadcasters can take to ensure their ongoing presence in homes and workplaces.
Read MoreSpotify – King Of All Audio?
Spotify is hell-bent on becoming the dominant audio platform in the most competitive of environments. Apple, YouTube, iHeart, and Audacy are all vying for the same turf. Spotify continues to innovate in the space, but there’s one area they cannot crack. And it belongs to broadcast radio.
Read MoreWhat The New York Times Can Teach Radio About…Radio
The newspaper industry has faced a world of disruption, but perhaps the most famous paper of them all – The New York Times – can teach radio a thing or two about…radio. A new staff memo from Executive Editor Dean Baquet lays out a bold future for The Times. And if we read between the lines, it’s an action plan for radio, too.
Read MoreBaby, You Won’t Drive Your Car
Let’s take a short trip in the Wayback Machine – back to December 2017. Paul and I were about to leave Detroit for our annual sojourn to Las Vegas and the sensory overload of CES 2018. We were just beginning to tour radio executives around the exhibit floor, Eureka Park, and other highlights of that […]
Read MoreThe Demographics, They Are A Changin’
When it comes to radio ratings and the revenue that hopefully follows, it has always been a question of demographics. In the collective mind of agencies, those age, gender, and ethnic dictates have always been well-known to broadcasters seeking to maximize their success. But as disruption reigns in our ever-changing world, evidence of demographic shifts – some tectonic – are bubbling under. Today’s post looks at a trio of demographic stories all pointing in the same direction: older.
Read MoreWhat The Beatles’ “Get Back” Teaches Us About Creativity, Collaboration, And Chemistry
You’ve no doubt heard about or seen the Beatles’ 7+ hour documentary, “Get Back,” streaming on Disney+. It is more than just the story of rock’s most successful band. It is an object lesson in creativity, collaboration, and chemistry. Today’s blog post helps to make the connections that apply to personality shows, teams, and ensembles, often struggling to find ways to work together while making great radio.
Read MoreWe’re Going Back To The Future
Technology marches on…or does it? In today’s post, a look at three media/platforms written off for dead that are now on the comeback trail. But just like a great radio show, there’s a fourth “kicker story” that just might take radio in to the future. What kind of future? We’ll have to see…or hear.
Read MoreWhen Do We Lose Interest In Discovering New Music?
If you want to get into an “extended conversation” with someone who works in music radio, just bring up the new music discovery debate. Why are so many stations cutting back on new music? Is it the quality of the music, the idea that people are discovering music online, radio’s conservatism, the nature of PPM, a combination of all those things, or something else entirely. To help uncover the future of new music discovery, today’s Throwback Thursday post takes a trip to the not-so-distant past.
Read MoreTo Everyone Who Says “Local” Is Overrated…
It’s that time of year when charitable giving is at its highest and broadcast radio always steps up for great causes. But given the time, effort, and resources – human and financial – is your station optimizing its good deed-doing? In today’s post, we look at one of local radio’s superpowers, and how it can be best applied to make a difference in the local community.
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