The Jacobs Media Blog

It's interesting how a deep recession can change the conversation in the corporate boardroom.  As the economy continues to hit speed bumps, companies are finding new and different ways to innovate, make some noise, and attract some attention.  They're exploring new partnerships and alliances that never would have been considered during the cash cow days.  […]

What do you do when you have a problem that's difficult and expensive to solve – even though all logic dictates that you must deal with it?   Simple – you turn lemons into lemonade.   That's what Arbitron has done with the cell-phone only issue.  From a problem with no solution five years ago to a […]

Always thinking about revenue generation, our Paul Jacobs chimes in with his thought about how radio can get its sales mojo back.  No, this isn't an RAB pitch.  We've been inundated over the years with the same old data about how 250 million Americans listen to the radio every week, how radio reaches 92% of […]

Need an excuse to register for the NAB's "Radio Show" next month? Hopefully, we have four good reasons for you to make the journey to lovely Philadelphia in late September.  As you may know, our Summit this year is embedded with the NAB's show.  We've got that great Thursday afternoon slot (1-5 p.m.), and have […]

In a new "Programming To Win" piece I wrote for FMQB, the topic is all about the mobile phone revolution, and how the world is changing the way consumers entertain and inform themselves. Since we started our jacAPPS division last October, we are closing in on 1,000,000 downloads, and in the process, we've learned a […]

In a new "Programming To Win" piece I wrote for FMQB, the topic is all about the mobile phone revolution, and how the world is changing the way consumers entertain and inform themselves. Since we started our jacAPPS division last October, we are closing in on 1,000,000 downloads, and in the process, we've learned a […]

Last month, we talked about bands that are performing entire albums in concert, a new wrinkle for live music presentation.  Of course, as a band, you have to have released killer albums that can hold their own and the audience's attention, track for track. There aren't many albums released in the past 20 years that […]

Here's a guest blog from Mike Stern, former R&R News/Talk Editor, and major market programmer. "It’s no surprise to me.  I am my own worst enemy.” Lit A pair of anecdotes recently reminded me that many of radio’s wounds are self-inflicted. While I shadowed a class at a local broadcast school, the instructor excitedly told […]

I remember being at an outdoor barbeque about 10 years ago, and the host's teenage daughter put on a CD that surprised me – Steve Miller's Greatest Hits.  I was sort of expecting Green Day, or Mariah Carey, or maybe even the boy band of the month.  And as one hit played after another, everyone […]

Here’s a guest blog from Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham:  Would an NFL coach move the kicker to the QB slot just to save a few bucks?  Nope.  So why would someone be asked to program or sell a format they have no experience with, just to add some dollars to the bottom line? If you […]

Years from now, it will be much easier to post-analyze how media spending and advertising changed during this past decade.  Until that time, those of us in the middle of this maelstrom have to figure it out as we go along.   That's precisely the challenge facing CEOs of major newspapers, television networks, and of course, […]

A recent Wall Street Journal feature, "The Count," that uses data to draw some interesting conclusions, notes that Tiger Woods tends to perform very well, even if a tournament is held on a course he's never played before. The article notes that of the last 12 "virgin" courses Woods has played, he has finished 1st […]

A new forecast from Borrell Associates is bold, and it has amazing implications if it comes to pass.  They're predicting that newspaper revenues will stop their decline this year, and will actually increase by more than 2% next year.  In fact, they believe that by 2014, newspapers will enjoy an increase of nearly 9% over […]

Al Franken has been in the news a lot this year because of the crazy Minnesota senate stalemate.  It's often difficult for us boomers to think about Al as a U.S. Senator because our first exposure to him was on Saturday Night Live. One of his best bits revolved around his premise that "The Me […]

Al Franken has been in the news a lot this year because of the crazy Minnesota senate stalemate.  It's often difficult for us boomers to think about Al as a U.S. Senator because our first exposure to him was on Saturday Night Live. One of his best bits revolved around his premise that "The Me […]

The latest wrinkle in post-9/11 political discourse is the dilemma that many politicians are facing regarding the health care debate.  At so-called town hall meetings hosted by Congressmen around the country, the level of anger has become so palpable that any exchange of views has become short of impossible. And both sides are lining up, […]

This performance tax kerfuffle keeps bringing out the worst in everyone – especially some of the fringe artists who are just waking up to the notion that perhaps they've been screwed by their record labels, and now look to radio to fix everything. In an op-ed piece in The New York Times last week, Nancy […]

This performance tax kerfuffle keeps bringing out the worst in everyone – especially some of the fringe artists who are just waking up to the notion that perhaps they've been screwed by their record labels, and now look to radio to fix everything. In an op-ed piece in The New York Times last week, Nancy […]

Today's blog is from Fred and Keith, thinking about a recent TV show vacancy.  Highly successful and well-known ensemble show looking to replace popular but sometimes controversial female co-host.  Applicant must be willing to voice her opinions, and be open to generating some controversy with the other program hosts.  Knowledge of text messaging platforms helpful, […]

Radio professionals must have laughed – and then cried – when they heard Craig Ferguson's rave at his network bosses over their obsession with youth.  In a monologue last week, dubbed "Why Everything Sucks" – Ferguson went off on CBS sales executives and their clients for their narrow focus on the youth of America. Of […]