Are major sports organizations missing the boat when it comes to promoting their elite athletes?  By snubbing their "true teams" -  collections of great players (like the Orlando Magic or Detroit Red Wings who lack marketable stars) who somehow come together to vie for and win championships – are they sending out the wrong message […]

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As it now appears that the NAB and radio will have enough votes to stave off this performance tax issue, it is comforting to know that the more things change, the more they have stayed the same. At the root of this "war" between radio and records has been this absurd notion that radio airplay […]

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As it now appears that the NAB and radio will have enough votes to stave off this performance tax issue, it is comforting to know that the more things change, the more they have stayed the same. At the root of this "war" between radio and records has been this absurd notion that radio airplay […]

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The news this afternoon that Radio & Records will shut down on Friday is shocking.  While any business failure or bankruptcy can't possibly be surprising after the demise of several large newspapers, General Motors and Chrysler, and other businesses, the news about two industries losing their key trade publication makes a statement.  Both radio and […]

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The news this afternoon that Radio & Records will shut down on Friday is shocking.  While any business failure or bankruptcy can't possibly be surprising after the demise of several large newspapers, General Motors and Chrysler, and other businesses, the news about two industries losing their key trade publication makes a statement.  Both radio and […]

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A recent creative advertising roundtable, co-sponsored by the RAB and the VCU Brandcenter produced some revealing – if not depressing – takeaways about why radio is positioned as a second-class citizen in the media world.  You can watch the video to hear these creative types discuss their views on developing campaigns for radio, but the […]

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Today's blog is a guest post from Richard Sands, the publisher of The Sands Report, a great online trade focused on Alternative radio.  Last week, Richard wrote about how radio could learn from American Idol, and I wanted to make sure this great column reached beyond Alternative PDs.  Too often, radio programmers run away from […]

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The news that Microsoft Zunes will contain HD Radio coming this fall is one of those "good news/bad news" situations.  As a radio friend of mine notes, this may be akin to radio supporting Betamax.   No doubt about it, had the news been about HD Radio becoming standard equipment in Apple iPods, we'd all be […]

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The news that Clear Channel is launching a project to help unemployed workers in markets they serve is interesting, to say the least.  Overall, 21 Clear Channel stations are taking part in this project, which begs the question: Isn't that about 2% of the estimated 900 stations the company owns?  That's the best turnout they […]

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While the traditional radio ad revenue picture looks bleak, digital radio expenditures actually jumped 13% during Q1 of this year.  Of course, that doesn't make up for the 24% decline in total radio ad revenue during the same period, but it says a great deal about changing tides. As Jeff Haley noted, "Radio's digital platforms […]

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While the traditional radio ad revenue picture looks bleak, digital radio expenditures actually jumped 13% during Q1 of this year.  Of course, that doesn't make up for the 24% decline in total radio ad revenue during the same period, but it says a great deal about changing tides. As Jeff Haley noted, "Radio's digital platforms […]

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In just a few short days, Conan O'Brien gets his dream job – host of The Tonight Show.  In a great profile in this past Sunday's New York Times magazine, the challenge that Conan is facing is spelled out.  Between Jay Leno's 10 p.m. show, Letterman, and the competition from guys like Stewart, Colbert, and […]

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Now that our Tech Poll V is out, and being discussed within the industry… and beyond… it's always interesting for us here at Jacobs to compare our data with what other research companies produce.  Keep in mind – our survey is a web poll, only among Rock-centric listeners in station databases.  You'd think that based on […]

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Now that our Tech Poll V is out, and being discussed within the industry… and beyond… it's always interesting for us here at Jacobs to compare our data with what other research companies produce.  Keep in mind – our survey is a web poll, only among Rock-centric listeners in station databases.  You'd think that based on […]

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  JacoBlog will return tomorrow.  Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

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Some technological changes – like the TiVo or iPod – take the world by storm.  It's hard to get away from their sweeping impact, and everyone is well aware of how these devices change your life. Then there are the more subtle changes – the ones that sneak up on you.  That's the case with a couple […]

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Some technological changes – like the TiVo or iPod – take the world by storm.  It's hard to get away from their sweeping impact, and everyone is well aware of how these devices change your life. Then there are the more subtle changes – the ones that sneak up on you.  That's the case with a couple […]

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To the many who enjoy social networking sites, our own Keith Cunningham would like to tell you about one particular "radio unemployed" person who is using social networking and the Internet to his advantage during these tough economic times. The incredible data on social networking from Tech Poll V leaves no doubt about the importance for […]

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Last week, I had the pleasure to participate in a panel discussion with Greater Media Chairman/CEO, Peter Smyth, Kay Olin, the President of Local Focus Radio, and chaired by Marcia McBride, former Chief of Staff to FCC Commissioner Michael Powell, at the Media Financial Management conference in Atlanta.  It was a great opportunity to talk about how radio […]

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We're all looking for indications that it's getting better, whether it's real estate sales in our market or pacing reports at our stations. That's why the news that Larry Wilson bought a couple of radio stations in Portland, OR last week struck me as significant given the turmoil that the radio broadcasting industry is in.  […]

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