The Jacobs Media Blog

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 […]

The Wall Street Journal recently devoted an entire section to technology, and the lead story was titled "How Old Media Can Survive In A New World."  It provided ideas and new thinking for newspapers, network news, network TV, advertising, book publishing, movies, and music.  Notice an interesting omission?  Radio wasn’t even mentioned in the entire […]

ESPN’s "SportsCenter" has announced it will visit all 50 states in 50 days starting at Fenway Park on July 17.  For Jacobs Media clients this promotion will sound familiar.  We have utilized the "30 Bars in 30 Days" to kick off personalities at Rock stations around the country.  It works because it’s intensely retail, allowing […]

Just a few entries ago, I was praising some of the better uses of Classic Rock/Rock songs in TV ads.  A few days later, NPR’s "Day to Day" program devoted an entire feature to having listeners choose the worst ad songs ever. An old radio friend, Sheila Sorvari, sent me the link to the feature […]

I’m pleased to have Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing offer a guest blog today, enjoy! There was an earthquake in Southern California at 8:41 AM on Sunday morning.  Magnitude 5.2, it wasn’t major but many people felt it.  In fact, within 24 hours, nearly 27,000 people had logged on to a government Web site to answer […]

I’m pleased to have Jacobs Media’s Dave Beasing offer a guest blog today, enjoy! There was an earthquake in Southern California at 8:41 AM on Sunday morning.  Magnitude 5.2, it wasn’t major but many people felt it.  In fact, within 24 hours, nearly 27,000 people had logged on to a government Web site to answer […]

The next time someone tells you there’s no good new music coming out, tell them about the new White Stripes’ album, "Get Behind Me Satan."  Unlike U2 or Green Day, this album isn’t likely to spawn multiple hits you’ll hear all over the radio over the summer months. But if you’re looking for something that’s […]

Back when he was presenting music tests for Coleman Research, Pierre Bouvard became famous for a very true quote:  "Perceptions are like glaciers – slow to form and slow to melt." Truer words were never spoken. In our Technology Web Poll, we asked whether Rockers from all formats were aware that radio stations had begun […]

The Center for Media Research has just announced that according to comScore, listening to online radio networks in March hit a peak during middays, crossing the 1,000,000 listeners mark.  This data is an amalgamation of networks like AOL, Yahoo!, MSN Radio, and similar outlets.  In addition, Arbitron’s comScore data shows that more and more computer […]

Last month, NBC’s head Jeff Zucker sacked the executive producer for the "Today Show."  Why?  The show looks fine, the talent lineup is made up of all-stars, and the guests are always stellar.  As ABC’s "Good Morning America" is moving closer to "Today" in the ratings, Zucker realized his juggernaut was losing more than ratings […]

Last month, NBC’s head Jeff Zucker sacked the executive producer for the "Today Show."  Why?  The show looks fine, the talent lineup is made up of all-stars, and the guests are always stellar.  As ABC’s "Good Morning America" is moving closer to "Today" in the ratings, Zucker realized his juggernaut was losing more than ratings […]

As a postscript to the blog about the demise of WCBS-FM and WJMK, Sirius has gone on the offensive by running full-page ads in both New York and Chicago newspapers, touting its Oldies programming.  The Infinity team is smart, and obviously had its reasons for making the switches from Oldies to Jack.  And this entry […]

Howard Stern’s going to Sirius.  A big strength, right?  Well, this move has clearly put Sirius on the map.  We’ve even noted anecdotally that Sirius is now being mentioned ahead of XM in focus groups and L.A.B.s.  Yet recently, Hyundai announced the results of a survey conducted among their customers that indicated that Stern’s presence […]

The Jack wave continues, running through NYC and Chicago this past week.  Unlike some of the other Jack changes, however, this one took out a couple of heritage Oldies stations, much to the chagrin of many loyal listeners. Oftentimes, I have written about our industry’s inability to sell younger demographics, and the long-range concerns this […]

…And it probably happened a little late in the game.  For the first time in nearly four decades of existence, The Doors catalog is finally open to ad agencies for products, TV, film, and soundtracks. But, there’s a story that’s not being told.  Of course, everyone knows about the success that Cadillac has reaped with […]

Just when you think you’re beginning to get a handle on all the new media challenges, something different comes out of left field to challenge conventional thinking.  In my world, this usually comes from our tech specialist, Tim Davis.  Tim’s the guy who has led our company into the Internet, Web polling, the blogosphere, and […]

It’s great to see that more and more Jacobs Media clients are now streaming their audio.  But making sure you get out the word is important.  Like you would a signal upgrade, promoting the fact you’re streaming is important.  Recently, I heard The Mountain (KQMT) run a very clever legal ID – "KQMT – Denver-Boulder-Casablanca."  […]

It’s great to see that more and more Jacobs Media clients are now streaming their audio.  But making sure you get out the word is important.  Like you would a signal upgrade, promoting the fact you’re streaming is important.  Recently, I heard The Mountain (KQMT) run a very clever legal ID – "KQMT – Denver-Boulder-Casablanca."  […]

I was fortunate enough to be invited to Saga Communications’ group meetings last month.  Steve Goldstein put together another great program, featuring a host of stimulating sessions and panels.  This year, Gerry Tabio worked his magic, reminding everyone how to brainstorm marketing solutions. Gerry’s premise is that for the most part, our first blush reaction […]

The ratings have come out for the broadcast season, and thanks in no small part to "Desperate Housewives," ABC has moved up nicely for the year.  And the final episode of "Desperate Housewives" was a record breaker for the show – better than 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the soap opera set on […]