The Jacobs Media Blog

A Rocker DJ friend of mind (who would prefer to remain anonymous for reasons you’ll figure out shortly) told me about a great article in the June edition of "O" (Oprah’s magazine).  It’s called "How To Interview a Brick Wall," based on a conversation with New York Times contributor, Seth Kugel.  A few of Kugel’s […]

We’ve talked a lot in this space about how podcasting – audio on-demand for mp3 players (or just making radio segments available for download) – is a great avenue for terrestrial radio to follow.  While so many new technologies (think satellite radio) either exclude us or attempt to outdo us, podcasting utilizes radio’s natural asset […]

I’d like to welcome Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing back again for a guest blog: Thanks, MTV, for 4 things: Providing an excellent commercial-free/VJ-free replay of Live 8 this Saturday.  It may have come a week late, but it was fantastic.  Like many people, I TiVo-ed every bit and got chills of the kind that this […]

The Jack session at the R&R Convention was well-attended, and had people talking.  Here’s the last observation from this session: This issue of "no DJs" may be central to the continued growth of Jack.  While the panel circled around the issue of a second act for Jack, no one was willing (or able) to say […]

We’ve been talking about the Jack session at the R&R convention.  Here’s the third basic observation from that session: It was great to hear from Bob Sinclair who has launched successful "Bob" stations in both Norfolk and Austin with the programming help of Joel Folger.  Bob was self-effacing, honest, and very compelling in his assessment […]

At the R&R Convention, there was a great panel all about Jack, hosted by Saga’s Steve Goldstein.  Here’s the 2nd installment of observations about this session. This "no DJs" policy is interesting…and probably shortsighted.  While there’s no question that creative liner-writing is important, there’s going to be a point reached where the lack of a […]

At the R&R Convention, there was a great panel all about Jack, hosted by Saga’s Steve Goldstein.  Recovering from the Jacobs Media Summit, I enjoyed my role as a quiet member of the audience, but after thinking about this panel, I’m going to devote four blog entries to discussing and addressing some of the points […]

Today, we’ve got another guest blog from Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing, and his feelings on Live 8: Congratulations, AOL.  Out of all the media covering Live 8, you seemed to realize the importance of capturing every major performance in its entirety.  Live 8 will go down in history as one of the first big events […]

How do you launch something new in an industry where hundreds of similar products come out every week?  That’s what the publishing industry goes through.  Doubleday has a new book called "The Traveler," which they’re now promoting in very compelling ways.  First, they’re using "street teams" – groups of young women who look like the […]

How do you launch something new in an industry where hundreds of similar products come out every week?  That’s what the publishing industry goes through.  Doubleday has a new book called "The Traveler," which they’re now promoting in very compelling ways.  First, they’re using "street teams" – groups of young women who look like the […]

Here in radioland, we struggle mightily to find ways to make our young male audiences attractive to advertisers.  And the salespeople continue to throw up their hands in frustration. Meanwhile, Marian Salzman, trend expert at J. Walter Thompson and author of the upcoming book, "The Future of Men," predicts that targeting real guys is going […]

With all the talk about new media – satellite radio, iPods, Internet radio – one phenomenon that many miss is video gaming.  The Jacobs Media Technology Web Poll illustrated the breadth of gaming – impacting many Rock listeners of all ages. Two years ago, Steve Schnur of EA Games spoke to our Summit about the […]

With all the talk about new media – satellite radio, iPods, Internet radio – one phenomenon that many miss is video gaming.  The Jacobs Media Technology Web Poll illustrated the breadth of gaming – impacting many Rock listeners of all ages. Two years ago, Steve Schnur of EA Games spoke to our Summit about the […]

You have marketing money, a high-priced morning show, a great team of promotion staffers, recent research, and a smart consultant (hopefully) – so how come the book went down?  That’s the question that PD’s have to face at times like these. It seems like most of the management books out there focus on motivating the […]

Jacobs Summit X is history.  Thanks to the entire Jacobs staff for another superior effort.  After the entire day, Larry Sharp (KSAN/SF) came up to me, and noted that while not intentional, every panel had a common theme – passion.  Upon reflection of the day, he is on the money. Passion has become something of […]

Jacobs Summit X is history.  Thanks to the entire Jacobs staff for another superior effort.  After the entire day, Larry Sharp (KSAN/SF) came up to me, and noted that while not intentional, every panel had a common theme – passion.  Upon reflection of the day, he is on the money. Passion has become something of […]

The Summit is here – and Jacobs Media has headed to Cleveland for Summit X with the R&R Convention. Here’s the agenda for the day: CLIENTS ONLY FROM 9AM-11AM: What’s UP With Rock? – An all-star town-hall style meeting on the state of rock NOONA Conversation With Peter Smyth – President/COO of Greater Media talks […]

A new Pew Internet project memo ("The Use of Webcams") reveals that one out of six adult American Internet users has gone online to view something – a person or a place – via a web cam.  The number runs even higher for men.  It makes you wonder – radio has personality (DJ’s, special guests, […]

When are morning shows going to figure it out?  It’s ironic that the creative swashbucklers who changed FM rock radio from a medium that slept in during the morning hours to one where mornings are dominant, are missing the Internet boat.  Cutting edge morning shows have changed the commercial complexion of rock radio and, have […]