The Jacobs Media Blog

The year is half over and we look ahead to celebrating America all weekend long. We wish you all good things over the holiday: Food Fireworks Barbeques Parades Get-togethers Family time And of course, remembering our country on this special day. We’re back on Monday with a fresh post, but until then, power down those […]

Bob Kernen is COO of jacAPPS and is always on the lookout for what’s next in the mobile space.  So today’s topic may remind you of that chilling scene in the mall from Minority Report where Tom Cruise is barraged by virtual sales come-ons from nearby stores based on his profile.  But the fact is that in 2014, beacons are […]

Over this past weekend while barbecues were being ignited, sunscreen was being slathered on, and families were loading up the SUV for a getaway, a changing of the guard took place at the Ford Motor Company, headquartered here in Dearborn, Michigan. CEO Alan Mulally stepped down after eight years on the job. During that time, […]

Last week, Lori Lewis and I were honored to speak at the North Carolina Broadcasters Association conference in Raleigh. It’s another strong state broadcaster group, headed up by WRAL-TV’s Steve Hammel, former president Dick Harlow, and the incoming Gary McNair.  We were treated with incredible hospitality throughout the event. Matt Thornhill of The Boomer Project […]

When I grew up in Detroit in the pre-cable TV days, there were just the big three networks, and a local UHF station – a far cry from today’s hundreds of channels.  But we also had a bonus – Canadian television, in the form of the CBC.  Because of our proximity to Windsor, access to Canadian TV added some […]

As COO of jacAPPS, Bob Kernen has a unique perspective on new technology…and disruption. Bob’s background is truly varied – a member of the early Microsoft Web TV team, a leader of startups, and also a deep background in television.  It’s now “halftime” in 2014, a great time to look forward to the last six […]

While not quite “spotless,” there is something interesting going on in Pacific Northwest radio that might be worthy of your attention.  Venerable Alternative station KNDD has instituted a major new policy that started this past Monday: It’s “The 2 Minute Promise” and it’s simple – the station will never play more than two minutes of commercials at a […]

We’ve heard about these future pipe dreams our entire lives – innovations that would change out lives, like flying cars, robots that do the housework, vacations on the moon, and a radio in every room. Wait – a radio in every room? It turns out that Radio-Craft magazine published a series way back in 1939 that talked about a […]

The industry trades were abuzz with news about Bob Pittman’s big soiree at Cannes, featuring A-list guests as well as heavy hitters from the advertising industry.  No, I was not on the list, but Mariah Carey (who performed) and Shaun White (who did not) were reportedly in attendance. Clear Channel bashers may take the opportunity […]

Last week, I was honored to present at the Illinois Broadcasters Association conference, held this year in Champaign.  This is another great state broadcaster get-together, featuring hundreds of motivated radio and TV pros, eager to learn from each other. It’s a proud organization, and rightfully so.  During this year’s Broadcaster of the Year luncheon, the […]

It is fascinating to see the jockeying going on in Los Angeles as Nielsen continues to dig into the meters to determine what went wrong. In a story that has now moved any remaining controversy about Casey Kasem’s illness and passing off the front page, all attention continues to be focused on the efficacy of […]

So here are a couple of quotes from a new chief executive of a company that is one of the most successful in the world – and yet, he is talking reinvention: “There are so many new ways to serve customers. Technology, data, and information are opening new doors for us to lead through. Our […]

Finally, there’s a benefit to Bill Jacobs going to all those Classic Rock concerts over the decades.  Turns out, there’s a lot of strategic business lessons to be learned from the many bands that have made immense cultural and musical contributions. – FJ Whether you’re a fan of the Beatles, Hendrix, or Led Zeppelin, their […]

Next week, the NAB’s Charles Warfield gets his chance to testify in front of Congress about the music industry’s newest attempt to extort money from the broadcast radio industry.  SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe made the claim that FM radio airplay actually hurts music sales.  In fact, Huppe avers that if FM radio were to disappear […]

More and more these days, I think about those promotions that ingenious 1970s General Managers and Program Directors dreamed up in their attempts to dominate the car radio back in the days of Gerald Ford, the Godfather movies, and the Big Red Machine. In the days when cars had five or six preset buttons, earning a place in […]

OK, in more than nine years of writing blog posts, I have only recommended two films. (By the way, both went on to win the Oscar for best picture, so you might want to pay attention to today’s choice.) Our posts about The King’s Speech in 2011, and then the next year The Artist attempted to draw […]

From the beginning of time, radio has struggled with its commercial loads, stopset placements, and the ongoing debate of units versus minutes. While all that’s been playing out over the decades, newcomers like music pure-plays and satellite radio have come along, providing consumers with alternatives to commercials.  And if you’re willing to pay a subscription […]

No, today’s blog post title is not the newest Sue Grafton whodunit.  But it is something of a mystery why there’s so much innovation occurring around the radio business, but so little actually occurring within it. I just returned home from Radio Ink’s “Convergence” which at times felt a bit like an “assault of the new.” I have taken […]

We see it all the time – broadcast professionals who could do a better job prepping their shows. Whether it’s making an appearance at an event in a town or speaking in front of a group, some basic research can make all the difference in the world when it comes to making an effective personal connection. And […]

We see it all the time – broadcast professionals who could do a better job prepping their shows. Whether it’s making an appearance at an event in a town or speaking in front of a group, some basic research can make all the difference in the world when it comes to making an effective personal connection. And […]