The Jacobs Media Blog

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.

Data can often sort complicated things out and even settle disputes. But it often raises as many questions as it answers. For our Techsurvey this year, we’ve presented some hard-hitting findings along with tough recommendations we hope can make a difference. Today’s post is a continuation of a series that has generated diverse opinions as well as considerable passion and emotion about broadcast radio – where it’s been and where it’s going.. In today’s post, I hope you’ll find some clarity and direction.

Have you seen the 2022 Nielsen Annual Global Marketing Report? Probably not. But in an email blast last week, Marketing Charts covered its release with a summary chart that was sure to be seen by advertisers and CMOs throughout the U.S. and the world. In a co-written post, Paul Jacobs and I distill it down, explain its implications on broadcast radio, and offer pathways that hopefully lead to a better showing next year. This is a must-read post for sales, marketing, management, and ownership.

Earlier this week, took the iPod out of its misery, discontinuing one of the most iconic gadgets of the past 20 years. What does that say about the way companies decide how radio content is distributed? While content is, in fact, king, distribution is queen. Today’s blog post faces up to why that’s important and what it means to each and every radio company.

Welcome to “Throwback Thursday” here on JacoBLOG. While today’s post is a blast from the past – May of 2012, a whole decade ago – it will have a ring of familiarity to it. Back then, iHeartMedia was still called Clear Channel, but digital was a hot topic as our eighth Techsurvey had just been released. I have a feeling you’ll find today’s #TBT post very interesting.

If you work in radio, what keeps YOU up at night? After sitting through yesterday’s Techsurvey 2022 webinar, a number of you have told me you’re concerned about all sorts of challenges now facing radio. Today’s post may give you some hope because it details a failed attempt at cloning radio by a well-known audio streaming giant. Unfortunately, I also raise one of those existential threats that may cause night sweats, along with a new data slide that may have you burning the midnight oil to help find answers.

“From worst to first,” a phrase that reminds us of last weekend’s Kentucky Derby, as well as Z100 New York’s rise to fame. I’ve also been blessed with an unlikely rags to riches story with Classic Rock – all of which proves it can happen again. What’s that next format that will revolutionize radio?

Have your working conditions changed since COVID – when and where you work? And whether you’re even still on the job? Imagine how audience lifestyles have changed during these same 26 months, including the Great Resignation, rampant job hopping, flex hours, and WFH. It could drive a program director crazy. So, today’s JacoBLOG has data, and answers to help you nail down how the so-called work : life balance may be impacting your time spent listening. As they say, welcome to a Monday.

As the post-pandemic world of media takes shape, merger and acquisition strategies come into focus. We’re watching this play out now in radio. But in Midtown Manhattan, the Times Company (parent of the New York Times) is offering free lessons in how to make strategic purchases and bundle them into subscription packages that are both habit-forming and self-sustaining. If that sounds like something you or your company could benefit from, today’s blog post is just one click away.

Those friendly, dependable car dealerships down the street are being rocked by post-pandemic change along with the rest of the retail community. Some business observers believe dealerships will undergo significant change in the next few years, and that means radio broadcasters will be impacted. Today’s post takes a hard look at this shifting environment, along with a punch list of actions radio can take now to stay ahead of the changes.