The Jacobs Media Blog

The Holy Grail in radio has always revolved around finding and connecting with P1 fans, the most frequent, dependable, and loyal listeners. And yet, station email databases may be the best and still overlooked tool in the digital toolkit. Now thanks to AI, radio might start looking at its massive collections of heavy listeners differently, thanks to the speed and personalization abilities of Artificial Intelligence. Today’s blog post looks at a new study of AI marketers for clues about how radio can more effectively recapture that email database magic for the upcoming Fall Book.

If you’re been known to use the catchphrase “live & local” with regularity, today’s post may give you pause. It’s a different way to consider audience and brand-building that isn’t built around a content or marketing model. Seth Resler originally wrote this post, and it struck me as something I hope more of you have an opportunity to read – and take to heart. “Community” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s an operating philosophy that’s not for everybody. But if you look at your audience through this lens, you might be well on your way to creating something very special.

Radio has taken its knocks this past few years, but there’s no denying the medium shines extra brightly during disasters. When those cell towers go down and the power goes out, radio is there. But what happens when communications break down during emergencies, and radio finds itself without the information it needs to excel. That may be the way the Maui tragedy may be remembered. Today’s blog post looks at what happened on Maui from the vantage point of a broadcaster on the ground.

Virtual online meetings became the only way for most businesses to function during the worst days of COVID. But now that the pandemic has subsided, the technology continues to have widespread use and application. As a money and time-saver, interfaces like Zoom have continued utility in the radio business, too. Click here and zoom in for a look.

“On the beach” sounds like a pleasant place to be. But as so many former radio talent have discovered in the recent past, it is far from idyllic. Here’s what you can do to help some of them get back on the air.

The #1 challenge facing American broadcasters in 2023 is ___________________________________. It depends on who you talk to, of course. A year ago, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters commissioned a research study to answer that question. The answer may not surprise you, but perhaps the MAB’s reaction to the findings will. Today’s blog post is different from the usual for good reasons. The problems facing broadcasters are big ones, demanding big answers. Here’s a start.

At last week’s Morning Show Boot Camp in Dallas, hundreds of passionate radio personalities descended into broiling Dallas, Texas to learn, to connect, and to celebrate their love for the craft of radio. While it’s been a tough year for radio’s corner office denizens, inhabitants of the air studio continue to enthusiastically show their stuff. One of the clear trends at Boot Camp the past few years has been the rise in prominence of women. And this year was no different. Radio is changing, and this group of pumped up women at MSBC are leading the charge.

Our post that ran earlier this week that asked you to make the call about who’s bigger – the Beatles or Taylor Swift – blew up. It set an 18-year record, and it generated lots of comments, many of which are entertaining. Today’s post is a compilation of your comments. And while you aren’t as polarized as what we see every day in the political world, you are very opinionated on this issue. Feel free to add a comment of your own.

The Beatles broke up in 1970.  If you were someone “of age” back then – and I most certainly was – the news came as a cultural explosion, the end of an era.  There had been rumors of disharmony, boredom, deceit, and delusion for some time, especially around John and Yoko who were clearly marching […]

You don’t hear as much talk these days about the power and of audio. But that doesn’t mean it’s lost its punch. Maybe podcasters still haven’t figured out how to tap into its potential. A new white paper suggest companies should think about a new title. I’m thinking radio companies ought to think beyond titles and rebrands. It’s time to lean into quality, compelling audio.

Like every traditional media platform, public radio finds itself in an interesting moment in time. Signs are pointing in different directions, often opposing ones. Reading these vital signs is today’s task at hand. We’ve got some pretty compelling evidence, and some very smart people weighing in. As we wrap up another busy week, here’s a look at the ups and downs of public radio.

The competitive media environment is chock-filled with products and platforoms competing for your audience’s time and attention. A look at how well-respected audio brand Bose has re-charted its course reveals a playbook that radio stations can apply to their own marketing challenges. It’s not about what your station does – it’s about how you make your listeners feel. Heard that one before? Here’s what it looks like in 2023.

Life sure can be strange, especially when it comes to the inevitable end of the road. In less than a week, we’ve lost two unique, mercurial, and immensely talented performers in Paul Reubens (a.k.a Pee-wee Herman) and Sinead O’Connor. They were also misunderstood, and as a result, their career arcs were greatly shortened. Great talent, by definition, is often hard to handle, capable of doing inappropriate things. Isn’t that true, radio peeps?

The theme of 2023, so far, is artificial intelligence.  Specifically, of the generative variety. While there’s always been a fear of technology and the health of the populace – remember, there were large factions of people convinced AM radio in cars was a distraction would lead to accident after accident – the fear of AI […]