The Jacobs Media Blog

Today I’m glad to welcome back Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham for a guest entry: Has Rock Radio Lost Its Nerve? Did you hear about the station that did a Mark Foley weekend?  They gave away lotion, boxer shorts, and tickets to see Panic! At the Disco whenever an inappropriate text message was heard on the […]

Today we’ve got a guest entry from KSAN/San Francisco Program Director Larry Sharp: I found where all of the hip, eager, young people that years ago would have been into radio are. The Oracle convention right next door at the Moscone Center here in San Francisco. As I walked through the crowd, I saw the […]

One of the most talked-about technological developments on the Internet these days is the new service offered by lala.com which allows regular folks to become Jim Ladd, playing whatever they want on the radio.  OK, not exactly. But lala has created a system where web users can morph into DJs, creating their own playlists, and […]

OK, I’m dating myself, but the title of this blog entry is ripped off directly from one of the funnier radio troupes this side of the original "Saturday Night Live" lineup – Firesign Theatre.  Talk about painting pictures with words – that’s what these guys (led by Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman) were all about.  […]

OK, I’m dating myself, but the title of this blog entry is ripped off directly from one of the funnier radio troupes this side of the original "Saturday Night Live" lineup – Firesign Theatre.  Talk about painting pictures with words – that’s what these guys (led by Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman) were all about.  […]

It’s great to see a new radio format emerge in 2006.  As Classic Rock turns the ripe old age of 21 (so now, it’s legal), there have been few bona fide radio formats that have developed over the past two decades. Some feel that Jack may indeed be a format, but it certainly hasn’t taken […]

So, I’m driving home the other day, listening to "All Things Considered," and hoping to NOT hear a story about Mark Foley, school shootings, or North Korea nukes.  And I was rewarded. "ATC" did a great story about Sean Lennon’s new album, "Friendly Fire."  Now I have no idea whether the album is any good […]

As Gordon Borrell put it so well at Summit 11, Internet advertising has incredible momentum, and is moving up the world chart very quickly. ZenithOptimedia just revised its global ad tracking study, and reports the Internet is now an overall fifth, and is closing in on radio’s fourth place ranking. As ZenithOptimedia reports, a great […]

Did you see the recent news about WOXY-FM?  They’re the Alternative station outlet that is no longer terrestrial – in fact, they’ve been an Internet-only station since 2004.  The big news is that CD-swapping site, lala.com, is now supporting them with an infusion of $5-10 million.  They also say they’re moving toward converting some of […]

At a time when the nation couldn’t be more divided, a desperate General Motors has announced that right-wing talk show host, Sean Hannity, is the new face of a "patriotic" car promotion – "You’re a Great American."  Sitting here in the Motor City, watching the automotive industry struggle, you have to wonder what the marketing […]

OK, I’ll say it – after spending several days at the NAB/R&R, I still have this sour feeling that just won’t go away.  Back in 2000, I was part of the committee to program NAB panels.  As part of the exercise, you get to create and moderate a panel of your own.  My choice was […]

OK, I’ll say it – after spending several days at the NAB/R&R, I still have this sour feeling that just won’t go away.  Back in 2000, I was part of the committee to program NAB panels.  As part of the exercise, you get to create and moderate a panel of your own.  My choice was […]

Check out this video, produced internally by KISW to "backsell" their "Rock Out Hunger" event.  So often, stations do something really big, really wonderful, and/or really charitable – and that’s where it ends.  Maybe there’s a promo that runs for a few days.  Or maybe there’s a picture on the website. But this 80-second video […]

The big news this week is Google’s purchase of YouTube for $1.65 billion dollars.  I have spoken to many radio people who are stunned by this news, but these multiples aren’t crazy in the Internet world.  After all, YouTube attracts millions of visitors a week to its free video site.  As we know, most of […]

One of the most-talked about sessions at last month’s NAB Convention was the presentation of research study, conducted by Jon Coleman’s company, based on actual PPM data from Houston.  In an attempt to answer some of the "Holy Grail" questions about commercial tolerance and tune-out, Coleman and Arbitron put together a thought-provoking presentation that shows […]

If you’re reading this right now and you aren’t from the Detroit area, here’s my question:  "What do you think is the biggest thing happening in the Motor City this week?"  I’m confident that many of you would answer, "The Detroit Tigers."  And, of course, you would be right. After nearly 15-odd years of horrendous […]

Glad to welcome Jacobs Media’s Ralph Cipolla for a guest entry today: As a PD, how many times has this driven you nuts?  You show up at a station appearance, and your personality is hiding out between call-ins.  Perhaps he’s in the van smoking cigarettes with an intern, or talking to that blond who always […]

As radio tries to make that wide turn to keep up with the digital maelstrom, consider a new research study from Universal McCann ("The New Digital Divide") that tracks how heavy Internet users in the 16-34 age group are using new and old media. If you’re programming or managing an Alternative (or CHR or Hip-Hop) […]

A new study reveals the average U.S. family owns 12 tech devices, that includes three TVs, two computers, and 7 other gadgets (mp3 players, cell phones, etc.). The amazing part of the Yahoo!/OMD study is that if you add up all the media consumption and other activity time, it creates the 43-hour day.  Obviously, there’s […]