The Jacobs Media Blog

Since the advent of smart speakers, radio broadcasters have seen an opportunity to promote these devices as ways to listen to their stations at home and at work. But now, Amazon is changing their Alexa business model and it has implications on everyone in radio. Today’s blog post has the story about the transformation of Alexa and what it may mean to your station.

Yesterday’s post about Apple CarPlay triggered questions about the impact of technology on in-car AM/FM listening levels. I’ve got new Techsurvey 2025 data that may make you think twice about the research you see. I also have thoughts on what broadcasters can do to control their fate in the car. Just click “READ MORE.”

Radio people know the continuing story of the car dashboard has had a major impact on the way consumers listen to radio in the #1 listening location. But dashboards have gotten exponentially more complicated in the last decade, often confusing and frustrating drivers. General Motors has been the car company that has pushed the envelope hardest. And now a controversy revolving around Apple CarPlay threatens to complicate an already confusing listening environment. We’ve got this important study for you in today’s blog post.

By now, we know the real truth – designing and creating successful digital content is hard, and the fail rate is high. But as our Techsurveys continue to show, there is one digital piece that is simpler, less expensive, and doesn’t require teams of employees: online newsletters. Today’s post shows not only why they’re already highly appealing to your audience but their extra-added bonus: first party data in the form of email addresses, a valuable asset for any radio brand. Let me walk you through it. Just click READ MORE.

Experience tells us there are fewer radio jobs here in America today than there were when we all got in the business. But what are the real numbers, and what do they say about the radio industry’s ability to survive and thrive? That’s the quest for today’s blog. And it tells some interesting stories about where we’ve been and where we may be headed – especially if you’re making your living on the air. We’re talkin’ this one up to the post.

Don’t you love it when new research studies debunk our longstanding conventional wisdom? I just found a study that shows that despite our desire to get out of the house post-COVID, most Americans are spending more time at home – by themselves. For the radio broadcasting industry trying to find its footing in an unsettling new year, following the audience – the gadgets they own and the platforms they use – might be a strategic way to gain that competitive edge back. Click “READ MORE” to follow my logic.

A 1,300 job radio RIF? It happened last week to Voice of America and its associated services. Of course, it’s a political story and a radio story. Most Americans tune in shows like Elvis Duran and Delilah, but more than 420 million listeners around the world cume VOA – or at least they did. Thoughts on what it all means in today’s blog post.

Were radio DJs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s the original “influencers?” Maybe so. But today’s social media pitchmen and pitchwomen are likely pocketing a lot more revenue than radio personalities ever made from bar nights, phone store grand openings, and live endorsements. Is “influencer marketing” a place where still-popular radio personalities can go? And what can they learn from both teenage and geriatric influencers with big followings and the ability to sell lots of stuff?

It was a tough day for the radio family yesterday. We lost the best and brightest. Bob Rivers left us after a long but gallant fight with the ravages of cancer. I wrote this two-part post in 2014 when Bob left the radio studio. I’m republishing it today as a tribute to his life and all that he meant to so many of us.