The Jacobs Media Blog

One of the many challenges broadcasters face is the “generation gap” that exists between today’s students and today’s broadcasters. Sadly, both sides hold serious misconceptions about the other. Yesterday, both of these communities had a fascinating “meet up” in Downtown Detroit, designed to bridge some gaps and foster understanding. Here’s my report.

At a time when more personalities are exiting media brands, how can radio stations derive the most value from those who remain on-staff, contributing content and value to their brands?

We’re coming up on the second anniversary of the mainstream release of ChatGPT. And inquiring minds are wondering which technologies can be integrated with this AI engine—and which are better off remaining the old way. I’ve got a great example for today’s blog—it’s a research methodology that should never go the AI route.

I cannot speak for dentists, CPAs, farmers, or construction workers, but there’s something weirdly unique about spending your career in radio: It’s the extremes. What I mean by that is there are days—and sometimes they’re numerous—where you experience events that whipsaw you from one extreme to the other. The highest highs and the lowest lows—all […]

Now in its third decade, there’s one video streaming channel heads above the rest of the pack. And they’re showing no signs of quitting. In fact, they have consistently been ahead of the curve. You might be surprised by just how powerful this platform has become.

Chances are, if you’ve worked in broadcast for at least a decade, you have some feeling of loss for “the way things used to be.” And it seems like the longer you were a part of this industry, the more memories of the past you have. Things change—at a much more accelerated pace in recent […]

The rules of engagement have changed for brands intent on grabbing consumer attention in the overcommunicated world in which we live and compete. The good news for radio companies with greatly reduced budgets for research and marketing is that content and distribution rules and “best practices” are changing. And they now favor those who understand engagement and who have the ability to connect and relate.

It’s not easy being the underdog, but in the world of mass communications, a combination of humor, relevance, and great timing can bring out the best in your station. Today’s blog post has some strong recommendations.

One of the true headscratchers in the world of audio has been the roller coaster ride the podcasting industry continues to be on. As those in the space deal with all the changes in this dynamic space, one of the smartest observers in the industry reminds us about what HASN’T changed in podcasting—and why the platform still exudes those strengths. Maybe so, but podcasting continues to face some of the same chronic problems it has encountered at least since “Serial.” Here’s an unvarnished look at podcasting as we careen into 2026.

Last week marked another of those odd phenomena where three iconic media/music celebrities made their exits from this world within days of one another. You might say it was a coincidence except these celebrity passings usually involve trios, just like they did this time around. How can we hope to replace talent whose footprints impacted the world of media information and entertainment in profound ways?

It’s a digital world, thanks in no small part to the nuclear explosion known familiarly as AI. A techie game-changer, the last two years have been remarkable for the growth and funding of this amazing and powerful innovation. But all the while, fans of analog aren’t backing down, zealously hanging onto those boom boxes, Brownie cameras, and vinyl records.

Today’s #TBT zooms back four years to a day when Facebook mysteriously suffered a lengthy outage. It was oddly reminiscent of that queasy feeling you get when your station is inexplicably knocked off the air. And Mark Zuckerberg’s explanation for this epic fail was oddly a lot like what we’ve all heard from station engineers during these crisis moments. There has to be some humor in here somewhere, so today’s blog post is a collective effort by radio veterans who have truly been there. Hold onto those alligator clips and enjoy.

Industrious radio stations in 2025 look for opportunities to connect with fans cost effectively. Thanks to new research data, we have the beginnings of a road map designed to help stations better promote themselves literally and figuratively. Being local is often about following the crowd.

When one of the biggest tech companies in the world decides it’s time to do a little TV marketing, the entire ad community tunes in and pays rapt attention. In this case, it’s OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI system that’s the incumbent in the space. So, how does this campaign work for ChatGPT? Let’s put it this way, a small market radio station would have had a greater likelihood to design better ads.

It’s been another challenging year for radio as we try to make our way through Q4, doing whatever it takes to plump up the bottom line. So what about promotion and marketing at the end of the year? Out of the question for most broadcasters. But clever programmers, marketers, and sellers can still capture the glow of bigger brands and their loftier ad budgets. It’s an artform when it’s done right as today’s blog post illustrates.