jacoBLOG

These days, it’s easy to point to disruption as the root cause of audience erosion. The most successful startup companies – or upstarts – are building their businesses on customer focus – capitalizing on truly listening to customers and responding to their needs. In today’s post, we look at ways for radio to recenter its energies on the customer, right down an old trick that can transform your station’s strategy sessions.

Read More

There’s a new model of Amazon Alexa – Echo Auto, an affordable, aftermarket product that brings voice technology to virtually any car. It’s a reminder that voice will come to cars at a rapid rate. And it’s an incentive for radio broadcasters to develop an audio strategy in this new voice environment where preset push-buttons may be replaced by “Alexa, ….”

Read More

We talk a lot in this blog about who is radio’s REAL competition. While you’re reading this post, media giants from the New York Times to Spotify are furiously going after your most prized possession – your morning drive audience. And they’re using podcasting’s habit-forming, on-demand qualities to lure your listeners away. Here’s how they’re doing it and what you can do in response.

Read More

Earlier in the week, comedian and talk show host, Jon Stewart, flew to Washington, D.C. to address the House of Representatives. The issue? Passage of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund – legislation guaranteeing health care for those heroic first responders, many of whom are suffering from serious health problems as a result of their bravery. It was a powerful speech, and a reminder to those of us in the communication business about how to effectively get our point across whether we’re behind the mic or in the corner office.

Read More

We keep saying and repeating that “content is king.” And in the radio business – past and present – that has always meant the role, talent, and coaching of on-air personalities. Today’s post looks at a former NBA coach, now an ESPN analyst, and how he has raised his radio game. It’s something every DJ and host should read. And we’re also pleased to announce the launch of our AQ2 study – our nationwide online survey of commercial radio personalities in the U.S. Everything you need is right here.

Read More

The challenges facing broadcast radio are mounting. Wherever you look, the industry is under pressure. But what’s the biggest challenge facing radio in 2019 – and beyond? Digital media? Satellite radio? Alexa? Podcasts? Gen Z? Or something else? Our blog post today answers the bell to discuss radio’s biggest roadblock to success in the digital era. And guess what? It’s fixable.

Read More

Some brands are survivors. They have the amazing ability to endure hardship, bad times, and strategic mistakes. You don’t hang around in radio for 50 years by accident. The radio stations that have stood the test of time have “great bones,” thanks to the hard work and creativity of their pioneers. In the automotive industry, marketers are keeping a close eye on VW’s revival, as they attempt to raise themselves from the ashes of “Dieselgate,” and leap into the electric era. Radio managers and owners should be taking notes. The analogies are obvious.

Read More

There are now 700,000+ podcasts to choose from, but very few “best practices” to guide podcast producers. Last year, we were involved in a company-wide competition that spawned a podcast that won a coveted Edward R. Murrow award. Seth talked to the podcast’s producer on the path to creating 10 key steps to creating a winning podcast. This is good stuff.

Read More

We love to celebrate musical milestones. That’s part of the “secret sauce” of the Classic Rock format. But nostalgia isn’t just about remembering the good times; it has the power to transforms debacles, fiascoes, and screw-ups into memorable moments. Cases in point: the anniversaries of Steve Dahl’s “Disco Demolition” and the debut of New Coke, proving once again that time heals all disasters. We go back in time in today’s blog post – but it’s a fun journey (mostly).

Read More

It’s a glass half empty, glass half full question: How’s radio doing? We’ve got two brand new charts that speak volumes about how radio is being consumed and how it continues to attract local advertising dollars. Will they settle all arguments and disputes? Probably not. But they will illuminate broadcast radio’s position in the new media environment.

Read More

NextRadio may be no more, but that doesn’t stop the incessant online chatter about “What if…” So what if all those millions of smartphones with FM chips were activated?  How would that change the fate of the broadcast radio business? Consumers are more addicted to their phones than ever.  We’ve tracked it each year in […]

Read More

What’s the health of your format? That’s a question I get asked a lot. And when you work with Classic Rock stations, trying to find “currents” can be challenging. So, I’ve done the work for you, with compelling new stories about Elton John’s new movie, Mick Jagger’s new heart valve, Aerosmith’s new sound system, and a bonus story.

Read More

Today marks the final day for a radio brand that many now describe as iconic – WPLJ, New York. Just typing the legal ID gives me chills, because like hundreds and hundreds of radio broadcasters, PLJ played a role in my career. I wrote about the station in this blog a couple weeks ago in […]

Read More

The challenge in our fire hose media world is getting the consumer’s attention. And for most radio stations, marketing budgets (if they even exist) aren’t what they used to be. Video storytelling – or “sizzle reels” – are exploding in popularity, and today’s post zooms in on a company that’s figured out how to get any brand’s message across. Whether you’re running for office or trying to win the spring book, there are some strong ideas in today’s post that any station or personality show can pull off.

Read More

Most radio broadcasting executives have their own ways of running their companies. But when it comes to the digital transition, they are increasingly singing out of the same hymnal. Today’s blog post examines the words of some of the most influential leaders in radio, how they’re laying out the architecture of change, and what the industry’s rank and file can do to remain integral.

Read More

The term “fake news” is relatively new to our vocabulary, but what’s real and what’s not are becoming big concerns for media brands. Including radio stations. Today’s post take a look at the expanding world of fakery, providing ideas about how public and commercial radio brands can build and retain their cred in a “fake news” world.

Read More

It used to be the music you grew up with was an accurate determinant of the songs you would carry with you for the rest of your life. But thanks to iPods, playlist platforms, and movie and TV soundtracks, consumers are being exposed to a wide variety of music from different eras and different genres. Here’s how one record label is cashing in on this phenomenon, powered by one of the greatest rock bands in history.

Read More