The Jacobs Media Blog

Around the Motor City, you say #6 to a middle-aged guy, and he thinks of Al Kaline, Detroit Tiger Hall of Famer who is commonly thought to be the best that team has ever produced. Many don’t know Al’s son, Mark, who has risen to global media manager for Ford.  At a recent radio forum, […]

How great is the chasm that separates how satellite and terrestrial radio do business and are measured by Wall Street?  Consider the following facts from a recent Mediaweek article: Fact:  Sirius signs Sex And The City author Candace Bushnell for weekly talk show. Fact:  XM signs Oprah Winfrey for $55 million to program a channel, […]

In article after article, and analysis after analysis, political wonks are in agreement that the Democratic strategy (assuming there is one) is flawed.  Yes, President Bush has made lots of errors, and Republican office holders may indeed end up paying the ultimate price.  But just sitting around and gloating about how the other guys are […]

As seen during a commercial break on CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360º," a spot for Fidelity mutual funds featuring "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" – asking the question, "Need a little flower power?" What’s next?  "Walk On The Wild Side" for Dr. Scholl’s?

As seen during a commercial break on CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360º," a spot for Fidelity mutual funds featuring "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" – asking the question, "Need a little flower power?" What’s next?  "Walk On The Wild Side" for Dr. Scholl’s?

* What Would Spitzer Say So, I’m on my way through The New York Times Magazine heading toward the crossword puzzle when the "Ethics" column captures my eye.  Every week, "ethicist" Randy Cohen attempts to answer the questions of readers who are struggling to do the right thing.  Last week, the lead query was radio-related: […]

Dave Beasing dives in again for another guest blog: Social commentators are eager to point to this year’s low ratings for the Academy Awards ceremony as further evidence that Hollywood is putting out the wrong movies.  There’s probably some truth to that – as none of the nominees for Best Picture were major box office […]

The Vatican announced recently that Pope Benedict XVI was given an iPod by a group of Vatican Radio employees.  (Of course, you’re wondering – it was a nano). They preloaded it with a potpourri of classical music programming, along with various features that are specific to the Pope’s work.  Apparently, no AC/DC or Sabbath. But […]

We have talked about this a lot in this blog – the concept of ceding some control of your outside marketing to your listeners.  We have seen this work for stations in a variety of different ways.  Listener-generated activities not only are the source for great creative ads, but they also whip up buzz.  Given […]

The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, may have delivered the best quote about visualizing the future when he said, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." In a simple statement that defines why he was the best ever on the ice, Gretzky summed up what every media CEO […]

The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, may have delivered the best quote about visualizing the future when he said, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." In a simple statement that defines why he was the best ever on the ice, Gretzky summed up what every media CEO […]

Hey, it’s not just radio.  Everyone in media – from newspapers to ad agencies – is going through the same process of redefinition.  What will be the shape of the media landscape in two years, five years, and beyond? Paul and I recently attended an investors’ conference, hosted by the firm that handles our company’s […]

Happy to welcome back Dave Beasing for another great guest blog: Few people through history seem to have had a greater grasp on effective leadership than legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.  A few years back, we were proud to bring one of his players, Andy Hill, to the Jacobs Summit to talk about Coach […]

Laugh all you want to about Al Gore’s newest baby, Current TV, but it is breaking advertising rules left and right – and making lots of money.  Ad Age reports (subscription required) that Sony, Toyota, and L’Oreal Paris have all put together deals to buy consumer-generated spots.  Each has ponied up an estimated $1 million […]

Did you see this recent headline? Ex-Creed singer believes distribution of video intended to hurt solo career Scott Stapp thinks the world is out to get him.   What else could explain the conspiracy to release a sex tape of him, Kid Rock, and a bunch of strippers? But of course, the real reason why Stapp’s […]

As I travel around the country interfacing with broadcasters in every sized market, I continue to hear some of the same concerns about our business.  There’s no shortage of passion for radio, and a continued strong belief that our industry will find its way to success in the new media age. By the same token, […]

Glad to feature a guest blog from Dave Beasing today.  This missive, along with some other great ideas, can also be found in the latest edition of Buzz From Beasing at www.ik9.5f7.myftpupload.com/buzz.htm. As BusinessWeek magazine succinctly put it in their 2005 year-end issue, "The Knowledge Economy is giving way to the Creative Economy." In other […]

It’s not a very bold prediction on my part, but in this first post-Stern trend that we’re all keeping a watchful eye on, we declare a winner!  With only half of the precincts reporting, KISW is the big story of this first trend. Now I know what you’re thinking – it’s just a trend – […]

So, how does better telephone customer service interface with radio?  First, step outside of your "radio box" and stop thinking like the radio person you are.  When Google recently bought dMarc Broadcasting, it should have sent out a shock wave to our business.  Google is thinking about different ways and architectures for selling and marketing […]

Recently, I read a story about a new movement called "Get Human."  It’s an idea that has become a campaign, and it revolves around business ridding themselves of automated phone answering systems.  Its founder, Paul English, pushed back against agonizing voice mail automated systems that conspire to keep consumers as far away from a real […]