The Jacobs Media Blog

If this blog is beginning to remind you of MSNBC or Fox News commentaries, please accept my apology.  Since December, the topic of politics and radio has become strangely regular in this space.  That’s because radio has simply not benefitted proportionately during election campaigns – which pretty much means all the time.   Whether it’s big […]

One of the exciting things about looking over the master spreadsheet for a mega-study like Techsurvey10 is discovering new data and findings that you’ve never seen before. So over the next few weeks, you’ll see some key takeaways highlighted in this space and in the industry trades, but one finding that is truly recurring has to […]

As David Letterman announced his retirement on his show the other night, among the insights, stories, and explanations, he uttered this simple truism: “You can’t help but think about the passage of time.  It’s the way of life.” After more than 30 years hosting Late Night on two networks, Letterman looked in the mirror and […]

Last week, I had the honor of moderating a session at the Worldwide Radio Summit in L.A.  One of my panelists – Emmis President of Programming Rick Cummings addressed the growth curve of NextRadio.  Rick’s words at WWRS were important, and in our opinion, worthy of being heard by those who were not in attendance.  […]

Sometimes it’s strange the way things work.  Last week, I presented Techsurvey10 several times – in two “stakeholder” webinars for participating stations, and in a different version before a packed house at the Worldwide Radio Summit in L.A. Early Wednesday morning on my drive to the Detroit airport on my way to Los Angeles, I had […]

I certainly didn’t make up today’s blog post headline.  But following up on yesterday’s post about the inevitable rule changes on Facebook, it’s a great lead-in to the new priorities for radio in the social space. And instead of blathering on with opinion, let’s go right to the data.  That’s because in Techsurvey10, one of our […]

On the heels of Lori Lewis’ post last week about the rapidly declining “free ride” on Facebook was a riveting panel at the Worldwide Radio Summit that talked about social media from a corporate programming point of view. There were lots of great sessions last week in L.A., but there was an incredible contrast between […]

No, there’s not a typo in today’s headline. It turns out that Brandon Jennings just launched his own app. Now chances are you’ve never heard of Jennings.  He’s a solid player in the NBA, laboring this year with my beleaguered home team, the Detroit Pistons.  Like a lot of players in that middle echelon of […]

No, there’s not a typo in today’s headline. It turns out that Brandon Jennings just launched his own app. Now chances are you’ve never heard of Jennings.  He’s a solid player in the NBA, laboring this year with my beleaguered home team, the Detroit Pistons.  Like a lot of players in that middle echelon of […]

Regular readers of this blog know that the topic of politics and radio has been much discussed, especially since this past December when Edison Research hosted a panel on the topic at the Nielsen Client Conference/Jacobs Media Summit. You can read both of our subsequent posts here, but the bottom line from that session featuring […]

No one spends more time studying the social space than Lori Lewis.  Of late, she’s been fixated on what may be happening on the most popular social platform of them all – Facebook.  While we know that “secondary” social platforms can be valuable depending on your target audience, Facebook is always at the center of […]

Since the launch of jacAPPS in 2008, Paul Jacobs has been at the forefront of the mobile conversation for radio.  He has worked with hundreds of stations on their mobile strategies and designs of apps, he’s looked at reams of data, and has been a key presenter on the topic at umpteen conventions and conferences.  […]

In much the same way that CES was a positive revelation for me the first time I went thanks to the prodding and cajoling of Buzz Knight about six years ago, I have had an epiphany this month – and this time, it’s about international broadcasting. Readers of this blog know (too well) about the […]

Last January at CES, Paul and I made the rounds seeking out the latest in smartwatches.  As you have no doubt read, heard, and perhaps experienced, “wearable technology” is being touted by many as the next big thing. While Samsung has its Galaxy Gear (with those great TV ads), and other brands are dabbling in […]

When I first went to work for WRIF back in the late ‘70s, the Post-Newsweek TV affiliate, WDIV, was in the process of launching a new branding campaign.  Similar to today, Detroit was in the process of trying to overcome difficult economic times.  Using the phrase “Go For It,” Channel 4’s message to Detroiters was […]

Before Mike Stern rejoined Jacobs Media, he was doing a considerable amount of work coaching talent.  Since coming back onboard, Mike now works with a number of personalities, enjoying the challenge of watching radio shows grow their brand and market influence.  Today’s guest post is a great success story in a market that might seem […]

Yesterday, we looked at the growing importance of the car to everyone in radio.  The dashboard has long been the epicenter of listening – whether it’s the two knob/six preset radio in a 1997 Saturn or the 17” screen in a new Tesla Model S. And we also know the importance of automotive to radio sales.  The […]

If you thought this post was about Art Vuolo, apologies to the official chronicler of radio. No, it’s about a topic that has become a mainstay in this blog – and that’s because it deserves to be. The car is in fact radio’s best friend.  Whether it is radio’s best friend forever is a bigger […]

If you thought this post was about Art Vuolo, apologies to the official chronicler of radio. No, it’s about a topic that has become a mainstay in this blog – and that’s because it deserves to be. The car is in fact radio’s best friend.  Whether it is radio’s best friend forever is a bigger […]

One of the downsides of all this “connected car” business is the lack of industry standardization.  In every interview that Paul and I conduct with automotive OEM and Tier 1 executives, this question about when everyone will agree on a common platform is always raised. And the answer is the same. “Not in the foreseeable […]