The Jacobs Media Blog

For nearly two decades, Spotify has redefined music – for those who try to make a living as musicians and for those of us who enjoy listening to music. Infinite playlists, song skips, on-demand access, and algorithms designed not to make mistakes are all part of the Spotify package. And where has that left the average FM music station? That’s the question, a young writer recently tackled for a high level publication. You might be surprised by his conclusions.

Yesterday’s post, “Radio, This Is Us,” made the case that broadcasters need to focus on radio’s definable differences. And in today’s conclusion, the puzzle is solved – but it’s no easy fix. Hit READ MORE and let’s get this going.

The world’s biggest tech companies make headlines every day, innovating new ideas, debuting new products, and trying to stay ahead of the curve – and each other. Meantime, most of the biggest broadcast radio companies find the going only getting rougher, especially when they’re competing against what media maven, Evan Shapiro, calls the “Trillion Dollar Death Stars” – Apple, Meta, Amazon, Google, and the others. In this highly charged. rapidly developing media market, where does broadcast radio fit in? Welcome to Monday morning. Let’s jump in.

ICYMI, Borrell Associates’ conference in Miami took place last week, and our Chris Brunt was on hand, taking copious notes, asking probing questions, and thoroughly processing how the confluence of AI and radio is an unstoppable force. Chris has made it his mission to consider all the AI angles to help guide us through the tall grass of this technology. Will you find his observations about AI at Borrell mind-blowing or in the “I already knew that” category? You’ll have to click READ MORE below to find out.

THe political season is officially upon us as the Presidential race is now set. Whether you like the choices, the hope is this year, radio is able to up its game – and political campaign ad spend. I’ve got some great support material that suggests 2024 could end up being a strong one. Here’s why:

When it comes to music discovery, more and more research indicates a key variable is your parents. And you may be surprised to learn about the tastes of these parental influencers – especially the moms. This phenomenon helps to explain some of the demographic anomalies we see in Nielsen ratings. The music you love doesn’t necessarily match the songs, artists, and albums that came out when you were a teen. Oftentimes, it’s the music that was on in the house or the car has the most sticking power. Welcome to #TBT.

In part two of his “Blueprint For Radio,” Paul Jacobs rolls up his sleeves and invites you to do the same. Here we go.

Today, I hand the JacoBLOG keyboard over to brother Paul – who has a LOT to say. Rather than look back at his 50 (mostly) great years in radio, he’s turned his attention to the front windshield, imagining what radio could be, better put, NEEDS to be in order to get past this obvious inflection point we’re all feeling. So give the young man your attention and open mind, and let’s see of someone who got his start in radio sales just might have a solution set that’s worthy of our time and consideration.

Sunday night ushers in the 96th Academy Awards show, a television event that’s on dangerous footing, alongside the embattled industry it represents. And yet, the motion picture business has somehow managed to survive, even up against the rise of television, video streaming, and platforms like YouTube. The question is whether it can muster the creativity and innonvation necessary for continued greatness. If all of this sounds strangely familiar, it is no coincidence. Radio broadcasters might be wise to pay close attention to how the movie biz navigates today’s troubled waters. Those golden Oscar statuettes are similar to those glass Marconis, a symbol of past greatness. Let’s watch the exciting climax together. Hang onto that popcorn.