The Jacobs Media Blog

One of the biggest fears many radio stations face is the challenge of watching its audience going over the so-called “demographic cliff” as listeners age out of the 25-54 year-old demographic. The Rolling Stones are pretty much in the same boat as more and more of their fans join AARP and get Medicare cards. So, it may surprise you who the sole sponsor of their “No Filter” tour is – and why it’s groundbreaking.

Another holiday weekend and another tragic weather event, this time in Southern California. Rather than litigate “how radio did,” today’s post is focused on the medium’s present and future role in connecting its audiences with its communities at a time when BREAKING NEWS isn’t just a rarity – it’s a constant.

Today’s post cuts right to the quick: the 10 radio lies we tell each other, our advertisers, our listeners, and our staff. Some will have a ring of familiarity to you, while others may surprise. And I’m sure I’ve left a few doozies out. See for yourself.

Hard to believe, but this week marks the end of the first half of 2019. Just like in any football game, it’s all about reassessing and making adjustments at “halftime.” In today’s post, we’ll recap some of radio’s first half highlights, and then share with you some of the big plays you can expect to see during the rest of the “season.”

Podcasting has been around for quite a while now, and yet, it still feels like a nascent media platform. A lack of great data is the culprit, and so analysts continue to debate precisely who is the target audience for podcasts. A new Nielsen report seeks to clarify things, but a little “data mining” on our part might turn out to be even more revealing. Check out today’s blog post for more perspective.

We’ve talked about sonic branding in past posts over the last year or so. More and more brands are finding ways to use audio as a device to build awareness and even usage. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, every radio station needs an audio strategy. And audio signatures are a great place to start. We’ve got some great examples in today’s post.

Where is the next generation of radio staffers going to come from? A new survey suggests mass media majors are less desirable than ever. Job One for radio broadcasters should be engaging with local colleges and universities in their home markets. Today’s blog post charts the way forward.

All of us at Jacobs Media are excited about our expanded “Broadcasters Meet Podcasters” sessions at this year’s Podcast Movement conference in Orlando. We’ve got some great guests, keynoters, and panelists set to go. Details on sessions, speakers, and what you’ll learn at this year’s session is today’s blog post topic.

Last week, the Conclave celebrated its 44th year with a great conference in its home of Minneapolis. Many of you know Paul Jacobs was awarded the Conclave’s highest honor – the Rockwell Award. It brought out the best in Paul. His speech about six life and career lessons has generated much buzz. If you didn’t attend Conclave or didn’t watch the video, today’s post provides a primer for how to navigate a great career in radio – the victories, the joys, and yes, even the mistakes.

Yesterday at the Conclave conference in Minneapolis, digital media dominated the conversation in one session after another. “Where is the audience going when they’re not listening to radio?” and what should broadcasters be doing about it – was a central theme. A newly released study for newspapers addresses this very topic, providing hints about how radio can make the adjustments in content creation and distribution choices in order to stay relevant and profitable. As radio broadcasters address these very same issues, today’s post will help strategists connect those dots.

Digital media brands may have amassed large audiences, but when it comes to marketing, data is pretty much what they bring to the table. Radio has the potential to be so much more than numbers and attribution. Today’s blog post looks at the current state of media marketing, focusing on radio’s pathway to not only staying in the game, but one-upping digital players when it comes to sales, marketing, branding – and results.

These days, it’s easy to point to disruption as the root cause of audience erosion. The most successful startup companies – or upstarts – are building their businesses on customer focus – capitalizing on truly listening to customers and responding to their needs. In today’s post, we look at ways for radio to recenter its energies on the customer, right down an old trick that can transform your station’s strategy sessions.