Our founder, Fred Jacobs, offers insights into the latest trends in broadcasting and digital media.

Is It Time Your Radio Station Did A “Cameo?”
The power of celebrity has never been stronger, especially on social media where it is coveted. So-called brand influencers are cashing in on the trend. But there’s no substitute for true stardom, and that’s what Cameo is all about – putting celebrities to work to record customized, personalized greetings for fun and profit. Hey now….that sounds like a job to do for radio. Check it out.
Read MoreBandwidth On The Run
Every radio company is different, of course. But whether you’re talking about the biggest public companies with thousands of employees or those mom & pop operations, the one complaint they all share is this: not enough bandwidth. How can organizations make the most of their resources, while optimizing results. That’s the heavy lift of today’s blog post, along with 8 common sense suggestions to help you get there.
Read MoreIt’s A New Year – Time To Clean Out That Junk Drawer
Today’s post is a return trip to the JacoBLOG junk drawer, featuring three great stories about radio. We’re talking truckers, Walmart, and a Texas death row facility – three places where radio is thriving in ways you’ve never imagined.
Read MoreThe Smartest Person In The Room Is…
Some of the most successful and creative concepts to ever hit the radio dial were dreamed up decades ago. To inspire and spur innovative ideas for the radio industry today, it starts with setting the proper tone in the conference room and optimizing the creative process. Today, we’re on Zoom, and the bar is raised by more numerous and deep-pocketed competitors. Today, we explore the secret behind getting the most out of your group, whether you’re meeting virtually or in person.
Read MoreWhy Is U.S. Radio Sitting Out The Audio Renaissance?
We often read about the Audio Renaissance – streaming, podcasts, voice, “hearables” – but broadcast radio in the U.S. is never in the conversation. Yet, there are still amazing moments on the radio, many of which go unnoticed and underpublicized. Let’s talk about that.
Read MoreThanks To Technology, Did Radio’s In-Car Cume Just Go Up?
After a few years where we did not see much in the way of tech advancement in the automotive world, CES 2022 turned out to be a fork in the road. Yes, there has been innovation in both autonomous and electrification. But much progress has been made in visual displays. They’re bigger, they’re personalized, and there are more of them. For an audio medium like radio, there are challenges, but also opportunities in the cars of the future, as well as vehicles rolling off the assembly line today. How’s your station’s video strategy?
Read MoreBecause You’re Not From Here
An ongoing debate in U.S. radio circles revolves around the value proposition and even the definition of “local.” Commercial, public, and Christian music operators are all grappling with this issue, especially because of its dependence on resources, human and financial. Today’s blog post offers up real-life examples of why the local ethos matters now more than ever, as well as my test to measure a station’s “local-ness.” Can yours pass the test?
Read More“He Plays Guitar Like A Girl”
The passing of Ronnie Spector earlier this week was a reminder about the contributions women have made – and are making – to Rock n’ Roll’s rich history. In fact, now more than ever, women musicians are setting a new course for the genre – a healthy sign. Today’s post highlights some of the best women in the business – including two talented players – a teen and a preteen. Prepare to be awed.
Read MoreWhy Radio’s First Responders Need Our Help
Earlier this week, we all got a grin from an “unhinged” Elmo, that lovable “Sesame Street” monster who uncharacteristically lost his cool over oatmeal raisin cookies. Stress is palpable these days inside many radio stations, and I heard from a number of JacoBLOG readers who offered new perspective on coping and the state of our collective mental health. These comments made me sit up and rethink the state of our radio stations, and specifically, “radio’s first responders” – the people on the air during these truly “unprecedented times.”
Read More“The Other Guy Is Dropping Trou!”
It’s early January, and you know what that means for U.S. radio? The one-day sale. That’s when entire clusters rationalize the first quarter is always slow, so let’s bring the entire cluster together and offer one-time-only deep discounts on sales inventory that’s just piling up anyway. Our sales guru, Paul Jacobs, thinks this isn’t the best of ideas. And to prove it, he carts out perhaps the savviest financial manager in the country to offer up a better alternative. Keep those red tags on hold and check out today’s JacoBLOG post.
Read MoreThe Elmo Effect (And How Radio Can Help)
It’s early January, and many of us are already feeling that deja vu effect that 2022 is feeling a lot like the past two years. It’s one of those moments when many of us are feeling the weight – the pressure and the frustration. Including a certain “Sesame Street” character who always is in a good mood. But even the best of us can fall victim to a bad mood. And that’s where radio comes in, with the power to make us feel good, if just for a few minutes. That is, if we’re truly in the moment for the audience.
Read MoreWhat Was The Coolest Gadget You Saw At CES 2022?
This year’s CES was like no other. In the middle of the omicron variant, crowds and exhibits were diminished. But the show was another excellent example of resilience, innovation, and yes, grit. And in today’s post, I’ll take you behind the scenes at CES, with a focus on what new technology – especially surrounding cars – portends for the radio broadcasting industry. And I’ll answer the question, “What was the coolest gadget you saw this year at CES 2022?”
Read MoreThe JacoBLOG Junk Drawer – CES 2022 Edition
CES 2022 is a wrap, and even though this year’s event was a bit downsized by COVID’s omicron variant, the innovation on display shone brightly. In fact, the most fertile place to witness enthusiasm, energy, and invention was Eureka Park. Today’s “Junk Drawer” post highlights some of the coolest things we saw from Eureka Park’s bootstrap entrepreneurs and inventors.
Read MoreWhy Radio Just Shot Itself In The Foot
Most of us kicked back over the New Year’s weekend. But the SiriusXM marketing team was busily constructing a massive ad campaign to promote their strategic goal to be a big-time medium player. Where did they run these thousands and thousands of spots? On the medium they’re trying to take down – broadcast radio.
Read MoreAlexa, You Have A Problem!
Our Techsurvey research matches other studies when it comes down to the slowdown of smart speaker sales. And now new memos from Amazon indicate even owners of Alexa devices aren’t using them very often. It’s a conundrum for a technology that was riding high just a few short years ago. Where does radio fit in? The broadcasting industry benefits from listeners who tune in on these gadgets. And radio may be the answer Amazon is looking for.
Read MoreDid Axios Just Lay Down The Gauntlet On Local Media?
While most of us whiled away the holiday weekend watching bowl games and partying with family and friends, Axios used the coming of the new year to launch a very ambitious plan. Its CEO issued a warning to all local news media outlets in the form of a detailed manifesto. For legacy media outlets – commercial and public radio, in particular – that have made their living and reputation on local news coverage, the Axios challenge should grab everyone’s attention. Today’s blog post looks at Axios’ shot across the bow, and plots a course of action.
Read MoreWhen A Format Loses Its Flagship
Some formats have a flagship – a station that is an undeniable leader – in programming, sales, and stature. In the world of Alternative radio, that station has perennially been KROQ in Los Angeles. But shifting fortunes have disrupted the hierarchy. And these days, Alternative is a format searching for its soul – what it stands for. Today’s post takes a good look at the state of the format, and the way forward for a format radio definitely needs.
Read MoreA Holiday Radio Story
As we count down the days and hours until the end of another challenging year, a Christmas story arrives better late than never. So much for one more installment of the “Best of JacoBLOG.” It’s time to break format, and give you something a little different to pass the time this holiday weekend. Hopefully, it will resonate for you as much as it did for me.
Read MoreHas Radio’s Live And Local Ship Sailed?
“Live & local” isn’t just a catch-phrase. It is a bona fide strategy, available to any station in Any Market, USA. The debate about viability for broadcast radio continued throughout 2021, as it likely will in the new year. Today’s “Best of” post provides data and a rationale about why it’s not too late for broadcast radio to embrace “live & local” in the coming year.
Read MoreHow Can New Music Compete Against Classic Rock?
COVID has presented tough times for musicians and bands, especially those who aren’t the Foo Fighters or Adele. And for radio stations dependent on a healthy supply of great new music, the past couple years have been challenging. What can we learn about how music is now being exposed and enjoyed that can inform the way we program our stations? To gain more insight, I went back to one of radio’s gurus. And I share those observations with you in today’s “Best of” blog post.
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