The Jacobs Media Blog

Today I’m glad to bring in a local pinch-hitter, Tom Bender, Regional Manager and Sr. VP for Greater Media Detroit: If I hear the term "outside the box" one more time, I think I’ll go nuts.  Someone is always encouraging managers and programmers to think outside it, yet managers are intensely uncomfortable with the results. […]

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Arbitron’s Vice President for Domestic Research, Dr. Ed Cohen, for an exciting guest blog: It’s a general perception that research geeks don’t write exciting stuff.  Then again, that may be just perception, but if you’re the typical radio person reading this, you’re probably thinking something like “he’s going to defend […]

Today we’ve got Jacobs Media’s Tim Davis joining us for a guest blog with some technology news: Somebody in the new technology space has finally recognized the value of radio.  While there have been a number of failed starts to date, it looks like finally there will be an FM receiver that works like a […]

Today we’ve got Jacobs Media’s Tim Davis joining us for a guest blog with some technology news: Somebody in the new technology space has finally recognized the value of radio.  While there have been a number of failed starts to date, it looks like finally there will be an FM receiver that works like a […]

Today we’re joined for a guest blog from Mark Ramsey, founder & President of Mercury Radio Research (and an accomplished blogger in his own right): The momentum (such as it is) behind HD Radio is driven in part by a magnificent lie:  Listeners want more choice. They may say they do. But no, they don’t. […]

Dave Beasing joins us for another guest blog: If I try to list all the Alternative stations that saw ratings increases, I will inevitably offend someone by leaving them out.  Suffice it to say that the Alternative Honor Roll is lengthy this Spring.  Some stations (like KROX/Austin, KCXX/Riverside, KEDJ/Phoenix — woops, I wasn’t going to […]

I’m back for today, we’ll have more guest blogs coming up next week, with some more very interesting folks contributing. So I read a review of the new Hyundai Sonata in USA Today a week or two ago.  As the article wraps up, columnist James R. Healy makes the following observation: "And, of course, the […]

This time around, I’d like to welcome Saga Norfolk’s President/GM Dave Paulus for a guest blog: OK, so being the resident parrothead of the Hampton Roads area, I can usually find any meaning to any Jimmy Buffett song title. Today, however…I’ve got a good one. Look, I write a MAJOR check to Arbitron every month, […]

This time around, I’d like to welcome Saga Norfolk’s President/GM Dave Paulus for a guest blog: OK, so being the resident parrothead of the Hampton Roads area, I can usually find any meaning to any Jimmy Buffett song title. Today, however…I’ve got a good one. Look, I write a MAJOR check to Arbitron every month, […]

You have to give ABC a great deal of credit for turning around their prime time fortune last season.  With big hits like "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," ABC resurrected the network. How did they do it?  Much of the credit goes to their on-air promos, and the strategies they employed to schedule them.  First, they […]

Today, I’m very pleased to bring you a guest blog from Larry Rosin, President of Edison Media Research: The other day I was driving my wife’s car when my six-year-old, who is working on her reading, asked me: “Dad is this song by a group called ‘HOOBASTA’?” As you might imagine, I was briefly puzzled […]

Today’s guest blog is from Paul Jacobs: Here’s how I spent my weekend:  on Saturday, I read an article in the LA Times that asked the question:  "Does Radio Have A Future?".  Sunday morning, the lead story in the "Week In Review" section of the NY TImes attempted to answer the question in an article […]

Today’s guest blog is from Paul Jacobs: Here’s how I spent my weekend:  on Saturday, I read an article in the LA Times that asked the question:  "Does Radio Have A Future?".  Sunday morning, the lead story in the "Week In Review" section of the NY TImes attempted to answer the question in an article […]

I’m gone a lousy week and look what happens.  A payola scandal has rocked radio, further tarnishing radio’s already black and blue image. I cannot tell you how many times focus group and L.A.B. respondents ask whether it’s some form of law or deal with record companies that stations only can play one single from […]

Today we’ve got another guest blog from Paul Jacobs: Are there parallels between what’s going on in the domestic automobile industry and radio?  An article in last Sunday’s New York Times chides Detroit for its inability to respond to changing consumer demand, primarily in the area of new technology in the form of hybrid vehicles.  […]

We’re joined for another guest blog today. This time around I’d like to welcome Steve Goldstein, Executive VP for Saga Communications has some thoughts on an interesting predicament: All of the press these days is devoted to new technology taking listeners from terrestrial radio to Ipods, Satellite and internet audio, and the theme is clear: […]

Another guest blog today, and once again, I’m glad to have Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing join in to share some observations: Just prior to delivering his trademark, "If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press," closing line this week, NBC’s Tim Russert offered new information about how to receive a podcast the program.  That means that, […]

Before my trip to Israel, I sent out a call to some friends to help out with the blog during my travels.  Happily, I’ve had a good deal of response and am excited to share some postings over the coming days from guest contributors. To kick things off, I’d like to Welcome Buzz Knight of […]

Paul Jacobs and Tim Davis went to the 30th annual Conclave seminar last week.  Both headed out to present on panels, but they also both came back with some interesting observations: We hit the 30th annual Conclave seminar by participating in the sessions.  Here are some of our observations from the event: 1.  There are […]

Thanks to Steve Goldstein for bringing an article in the Arizona Republic to our attention.  They report about a new Federal study that shows that cell phones have passed standard land lines in both Arizona and the rest of the U.S.  The article notes that Quest Communications lost more than 1 million land line subscribers […]