The Jacobs Media Blog

There have been changes galore over the decades in radio: new technologies, exponentially more competitors, and a changed media landscape. But one thing that hasn’t changed a bit is the value of talent. If anything, it’s reached an even higher peak in recent years, so much so that pretty much every industry is obsessed with growing stars. Mike Stern sits in for me today with a great guest post.

A funny thing happened when Netflix dropped its fourth season of “Stranger Things” last month – an odd song from the mid-80’s started climbing the pop and streaming charts, reborn for millions of new fans. How music’s changing platforms is impacting radio is the topic of today’s blog post.

Do you need a college degree to be a success in radio? That’s the issue debated over the weekend, and it’s a compelling one. It’s not difficult to think of some of radio’s biggest success stories – many are people who never graduated from or even attended college. So why do so many radio companies demand that degree when hiring? And for radio’s long-term future, will an education be necessary in order to compete?

More than two years after the COVID outbreak, many downtown office buildings in the nation’s biggest cities still sit half empty. The American workforce is spoken, embracing work from home. And research reveals it may be less about “work/life balance” and much more about despising their bloody commutes. There are many different schools of thought here, but for radio broadcasters, many may be secretly pulling for Elon Musk’s ultimatum to his Tesla team to work.

Apple CarPlay continues to be more in-demand for new vehicle owners. At their Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, Apple unveiled its more comprehensive dashboard ecosystem yet, controlling virtually all the vehicle’s operations from climate control to infotainment. So where does broadcast radio fit into this new CarPlay version, how is it accessed, and how is it displayed in the dash? We’ve been waiting for Apple announcement, and now we have all those answers. Buckle up.

As our world continues to careen into places unknown, all media struggle to find their “news voice” – cable news, internet websites, social media, and of course, radio. Over the years, public radio has made great strides in the ratings, But the political news cycle these past few years have made coverage and tone a challenge. During this time, CNN has perhaps struggle the most to find its lane. And now their new boss is putting new policies in place that may impact the entire journalistic space, including public radio.

In yesterday’s blog post, we talked about the high price of concert tickets, especially for Classic Rock shows. But how much would fans pay to see a concert with their favorite band as they were in their prime? Technology is moving quickly, and at the forefront of this trend is none other than ABBA. Mama mia!

You think the price of gas is out of control? Have you seen where concert ticket prices are going for these days? But here’s something you may not know: the type of music you love may be a determining factor in setting the price of concert tickets. Can you guess which music genre charges the highest prices a for a live show? And the style that brings in the fewest amount of money? As we hit those summer months, this is a topic we’ll be talking about again and again.

It happens all the time in radio: you/your station makes a questionable decision that angers some of your biggest fans. Recently, Delta Airlines ran into a similar situation. And they turned it around. Today’s blog post offers up 9 tips to make sure your super P1s come away from this dumpster fire with a renewed respect for your station and your brand. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

I’m a sucker for sports analogies. And I’ve got a great one for today’s blog post. There are some incredible similarities between successful NBA coaches and high-achieving radio P.D.s. That’s because the great ones know how to push the right buttons to get optimal results. I’ve assembled my high-five list of ways that separate the good ones – from the great ones.

lf you want to watch radio programmers take sides, start up a conversation about contesting. The research shows they always test poorly. Yet, just about every station does them. In today’s blog post, we break down the research AND the reality of radio giveaways – why they work and the elements that make them successful. Let’s settle this once and for all.