The Jacobs Media Blog

Radio’s twists and turns get more interesting by the week, as the industry continues to seek out definition… And answers. Case in point:  Independent station owner, Bud Walters.  He owns WBUZ in Nashville, a station that is up against many of the big boys in a very competitive Rock market.  The Buzz was one of […]

Ask anyone about the newspaper business these days, and they’ll tell you it’s about over.  Circulation numbers are falling fast, young people don’t bother reading them, classified ads are moving to the Internet, and the entire model is breaking down. But if that’s the case, how come business morons like Jack Welch, David Geffen, and […]

The bad news for DJs?  The Clear Channel purges, in particular, have put many talented personalities out of work. The good news?  They want you in India. In that growing country, radio is red hot.  More stations are signing on, and the occupation of "Radio Jockey" is highly respected and desirable.  Even professionals like physicians […]

That’s essentially what Sir George and Giles Martin have created in the new Love collection that accompanies the hot new Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas.  But for Beatles fans, these new/old versions are an incredible reshaping of songs that are burned into our memories, and are now re-mixed differently using archived material. As […]

In the wake of Jonathan Miller’s departure as the CEO of AOL comes news that Jason Calacanis – head of AOL’s Netscape Division, CEO of Weblogs, Inc., and Jacobs Media Summit 11 speaker – has turned in his ID badge. If you think 2006 has been a rough and tumble year for terrestrial radio, think […]

…Not necessarily better.  Finally, the anticipated news that Clear Channel will now be owned by private equity, rather than operate as a public company has been announced.  While this may signal a company that is easier to run – without the burdens of Wall Street scrutiny – it also potentially ushers in a new era […]

That’s the way Ford’s new CEO, Alan Mulally, is now greeted by his mom in emails.  Just a couple of months ago, it was "Hi, Airplane Guy," because Mulally ran Boeing.  So from aviation to automotive in one year.  And what are his chances of success? Well, that’s just the point, because the theory is […]

That’s the way Ford’s new CEO, Alan Mulally, is now greeted by his mom in emails.  Just a couple of months ago, it was "Hi, Airplane Guy," because Mulally ran Boeing.  So from aviation to automotive in one year.  And what are his chances of success? Well, that’s just the point, because the theory is […]

Since Jacobs Media launched the NeoRadio model three years ago, the concept of integrating the listener (or customer) into helping shape the brand has grown in acceptance and importance.  This was underscored by the fact that some of the nation’s biggest marketing managers just wrapped up one of their big conferences with a very different […]

An interesting development occurred during a football game between Wisconsin and Penn State a couple of Saturdays ago.  Taking advantage of an NCAA rule change, Wisconsin head coach, Bret Bielema, intentionally had his team run offsides twice in order to kill the clock and win the game.  While this move created some controversy among the […]

Yes, it’s finally happening – the Arbitron eDiary will be an option for respondents starting in the Winter ’07 survey.  This is a good sign, and this new recording tool will very likely resonate nicely with younger demographics, a long-time challenge for Arbitron (and all research companies, for that matter). Clearly, the paper and pencil […]

I’m glad to welcome back Jacobs Media’s Paul Jacobs for a guest blog today: A recent cover of Brandweek captured my attention.  TNT was touting NBA games as THE place to reach young men.  Interesting.  In radio, outside of beers and bars, we can’t find advertisers who are interested in this demo, but on television […]

The fastest growing, wealthiest Internet search company is looking to hire hundreds of qualified radio salespeople to get in on the ground floor of our newest venture – selling radio advertising.  But not the "old" media way – this is "new" media.  We want radio’s best and brightest – no schleppers invited.  If you know […]

It’s been a crazy year for morning radio, especially in the wake of Howard Stern’s exodus to Sirius.  Everyone knows about the many efforts to try and replace Stern at both CBS stations, as well as stations owned by other companies. No matter where you come down on this, our strong sense is that Stern’s […]

We’ve spent considerable time in this space encouraging, cajoling, and nearly begging radio broadcasting’s CEOs to rethink their historic avoidance of teens.  Our call for a Teen Task Force encouraged many of you to positively respond, whether in the blog or more privately to us here at Jacobs Media.  (OK, Jeff Schmidt posted a snarky […]

Ben McConnell was probably smiling when he read that DirecTV is now paying subscribers $100 for each referral – no limit – and a chance to visit Super Bowl XLI.  Ben introduced his "Customer Evangelism" philosophy several years ago at the Jacobs Media Summit, and we’ve done our best to spread the message.  The DirecTV […]

Today we’ve got a guest entry from Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing: The Fall 2006 Congressional campaigns come to a head tomorrow.  If Claire McCaskill defeats Republican incumbent Senator Jim Talent in Missouri – or even comes close – history will record YouTube’s impact.  Just before the weekend of October 21 & 22, McCaskill launched a […]

Today we’ve got another guest entry from Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham: The Internet, wireless technologies, and file-sharing have changed everything.  Never before has news and entertainment moved at such a rapid pace.  Consider John Kerry’s latest gaffe.  Botched joke or not, it was only minutes after he planted his foot (leg?) in his mouth that […]

When media visionary, and agent provocateur, Jason Calacanis told us at Summit 11 that "your audience is your farm team," he nailed it.  More and more, media outlets are discovering great talent among the masses. Witness KYYS’ current campaign to replace morning star, Larry Moffitt, with someone from outside radio circles.  Their "Kansas City Radio […]

Actually, it’s the Detroit Blues, because after a fabulous year and a great post-season, my Tigers succumbed to the St. Louis Cardinals.  You’ll note the less-than-happy facial expression as I sport a Cardinals 2006 World Series cap, thanks to an ill-conceived bet with a jubilant Rick Balis. Interestingly, the Fox TV network is now feeling […]