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.

In radio, we’re always predicting: formats, morning shows, song hits, ratings. But as we learn every year during the NFL Draft, no one really gets is right all the time. It’s our overconfidence – or hubris – that often fogs our decision-making process. So, let’s put your predictive powers to work. Today’s blog post tries hard to get it right. Or wrong.

What a week – Nielsen wearables, the AllAccess Audio Summit, Elon Musk, Twitter, and we’re on the precipice of the first NAB Show in three years. It’s a perfect Friday for a “junk drawer” edition of JacoBLOG. I’ve got three stories that will make you the hit of this weekend’s visits to the farmers market or your kid’s soccer game.