The Jacobs Media Blog

A couple of weeks back, a blog post (Afterthought) highlighted an RAB roundtable about the sorry state of radio production.  Now it turns out that the RAB will not be handing out a Mercury Award for the Radio Station Produced category.  Why?  Because none of the entries was worthy, according to the judges. The story, […]

An interesting thing is happening on late night television – David Letterman actually edged past "The Tonight Show" one night last week.  While everyone is talking about Conan versus Dave, and their new head-to-head competition, it's hard not to conclude that competition can be a good thing. Recently, Letterman has been embroiled in a battle of […]

So, this mobile apps thing is becoming big.  And as marketing and research guys, we are bringing something a little different to the table with our app development company, jacAPPS.  While we get all sorts of calls from people who say something like, "Just get us on the iPhone," the real question revolves around what […]

So, this mobile apps thing is becoming big.  And as marketing and research guys, we are bringing something a little different to the table with our app development company, jacAPPS.  While we get all sorts of calls from people who say something like, "Just get us on the iPhone," the real question revolves around what […]

Sure looks like fun… and a great celebration of Classic Rock!

Now that the hoopla over the iPhone announcement has passed, let's take a look at what these developments might mean – at least in the short term.  1. Steve Jobs didn't show up.  But Apple got all the hype out of the speculation about him.  Like those "special guest appearance" concerts, it sure got everyone […]

One of the few American success stories in this economic downturn is Wal-Mart.  They have come up with a formula that combines product variety, low prices, and service that keeps them thriving.  So, you've got to believe there's some sort of master plan (and of course, there is) that keeps the company on top. In […]

Thanks to Tom Kay and the folks at Conclave, I'll be presenting a webinar, tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10th) at 3P EDT.  Called "DJs: Rebooting Your Career" It's designed for air talent attempting to redefine their missions or simply trying to figure out how to navigate the current radio waters. Much of what has transpired during […]

Is there anything more frustrating for listeners than to turn on their favorite station, and hear that it is has suddenly switched formats?  We do it every week, mostly with little warning or explanation to core customers that we've been courting, nurturing, and bribing for years.  And one day, it's gone. The same thing commonly […]

Is there anything more frustrating for listeners than to turn on their favorite station, and hear that it is has suddenly switched formats?  We do it every week, mostly with little warning or explanation to core customers that we've been courting, nurturing, and bribing for years.  And one day, it's gone. The same thing commonly […]

Are major sports organizations missing the boat when it comes to promoting their elite athletes?  By snubbing their "true teams" -  collections of great players (like the Orlando Magic or Detroit Red Wings who lack marketable stars) who somehow come together to vie for and win championships – are they sending out the wrong message […]

As it now appears that the NAB and radio will have enough votes to stave off this performance tax issue, it is comforting to know that the more things change, the more they have stayed the same. At the root of this "war" between radio and records has been this absurd notion that radio airplay […]

As it now appears that the NAB and radio will have enough votes to stave off this performance tax issue, it is comforting to know that the more things change, the more they have stayed the same. At the root of this "war" between radio and records has been this absurd notion that radio airplay […]

The news this afternoon that Radio & Records will shut down on Friday is shocking.  While any business failure or bankruptcy can't possibly be surprising after the demise of several large newspapers, General Motors and Chrysler, and other businesses, the news about two industries losing their key trade publication makes a statement.  Both radio and […]

The news this afternoon that Radio & Records will shut down on Friday is shocking.  While any business failure or bankruptcy can't possibly be surprising after the demise of several large newspapers, General Motors and Chrysler, and other businesses, the news about two industries losing their key trade publication makes a statement.  Both radio and […]

A recent creative advertising roundtable, co-sponsored by the RAB and the VCU Brandcenter produced some revealing – if not depressing – takeaways about why radio is positioned as a second-class citizen in the media world.  You can watch the video to hear these creative types discuss their views on developing campaigns for radio, but the […]

Today's blog is a guest post from Richard Sands, the publisher of The Sands Report, a great online trade focused on Alternative radio.  Last week, Richard wrote about how radio could learn from American Idol, and I wanted to make sure this great column reached beyond Alternative PDs.  Too often, radio programmers run away from […]

The news that Microsoft Zunes will contain HD Radio coming this fall is one of those "good news/bad news" situations.  As a radio friend of mine notes, this may be akin to radio supporting Betamax.   No doubt about it, had the news been about HD Radio becoming standard equipment in Apple iPods, we'd all be […]

The news that Clear Channel is launching a project to help unemployed workers in markets they serve is interesting, to say the least.  Overall, 21 Clear Channel stations are taking part in this project, which begs the question: Isn't that about 2% of the estimated 900 stations the company owns?  That's the best turnout they […]

While the traditional radio ad revenue picture looks bleak, digital radio expenditures actually jumped 13% during Q1 of this year.  Of course, that doesn't make up for the 24% decline in total radio ad revenue during the same period, but it says a great deal about changing tides. As Jeff Haley noted, "Radio's digital platforms […]