The Jacobs Media Blog

You may have read the story last week about how former NPR CEO, Jarl Mohn, became a “member” of all 251 NPR affiliated stations by writing each of them a $1,000 check. In exchange, Jarl asked each station to send him their coffee mug. It’s a symbolic gesture that speaks volumes about leadership and class in a world sorely lacking both. I’ve known Jarl for decades, and today’s post lists six key qualities that define a great leader. Grab a cup of coffee, click here, and join me.

As we love to say on the radio, “Welcome to the weekend.” And if I know my readership, a number of you will be enjoying an adult beverage before too long. In fact, it may be one of those cool craft beverages. And the creativity of this hot category now extends to radio, and a beer named after our favorite platform – FM radio.

The science of sound has become a popular pursuit – in marketing and advertising and now in the auto industry. Associating sound effects with a time, a place, a person, or a radio station is powerful stuff. And today’s blog posts opens the door for any radio station to use sound strategically to build powerful connections.

PPM is 15 years-old, and its impact on the radio broadcasting industry has been considerable. And at a time when the audio landscape has grown exponentially more competitive, most big market stations defer to “PPM friendly” radio. Today’s blog post tackles this tough topic – one that is rarely discussed but we all feel its weighty effects. Get out your dice and let’s play “The PPM Game.”

These days, you’re either “fer or agin.” It’s no longer possible to straddle the center. You’ve got to take a position, an extreme, a pole. And that’s been the case in radio for several years. The haters gonna hate, and the diehard fans will defend Marconi’s medium ’til its demise. Isn’t there any common ground? That’s the tricky topic of today’s blog post. Which side are YOU on?

Any time we discuss the “ideal lengths” of content, whether it’s videos, podcasts, or on-air breaks, we’re dealing with a lot of opinion and subjectivity. But a look at content trends over the past decade or more tells us that in general, short is good. And shorter is better. Today’s blog post walks you through how content is evolving, and what that means to how we advise our talent to create better, and more mainstream radio.

One thing we’ve learned from COVID – nostalgia is powerful “comfort food.” And the continued success of Classic Rock is a reminder that music nostalgia might be the most potent elixir of them all. Today’s blog presents three eye-opening stories from the Classic Rock “highway” that underscores the financial clout behind the music.

One of the major impacts for radio in the COVID era is traffic volume. And a newly released research study breaks down more than 400 metros around the world, ranking them by traffic congestion – which of course, translates to radio listening. Where does your market show up, and how can this data inform your post-pandemic strategy. It’s all broken down for you in today’s post.

The Alternative format finds itself in a state of flux in 2022. So what’s new? Behind the scenes conversations are taking place about the format’s future, including inside the radio industry’s biggest companies. Today, I join forces with Jacobs Media consultant, Mike Stern, to address Alternative’s issues, and offer up actions and solutions for your consideration. And would some of these tactics and strategies work with other formats? That’s a question we hope you’ll help us answer.

What a weekend for sports! Between the Olympics and the Super Bowl, the action was nonstop. But so were the lessons. If you were paying attention, the athletes revealed a lot about who they are and what it means to not just win, but to compete. Today’s post pulls out six important sports lessons we witnessed that can help our radio endeavors.

Today’s post isn’t your garden variety “junk drawer.” It’s “The Big Game” edition, featuring stories you maybe haven’t heard yet about Joe Rogan, Neil Young, Joan Jett, and the Supremes – all in one post. And this post has been approved by the legal department, so it won’t get you in hot water to read it. I’ve also included my take on the overhyped Halftime Show, and the eventual winner of “The Big Game” itself.

What’s in a brand name? For radio, it’s everything – the outward facing way listeners, advertisers, and the community refer to your station. Coming up with a new brand – or tougher yet, a rebrand – can be a tough challenge. Here’s a guide that will remind you of the stations that got it right, as well as those that perhaps should have gone back to the drawing board.