Sometimes you just need a break.
That’s essentially the way Dave Grohl explained it last weekend as he concluded a Central Park concert. While he didn’t indicate the Foo Fighters were breaking up, he conceded that he didn’t know when the band would be playing again. As he explained, “…it’s a good thing for all of us to go away for a while.”
The importance of breaks from our frantic activities is well known. The term “sabbatical” means a rest from work or a hiatus, and dates all the way back to the Bible (Genesis 2:2-3) at least in concept.
So when I read Grohl’s honest and transparent need to put the band “back in the garage for a while,” I had to nod and smile.
In a manner of speaking, that is what we’ve decided to do with the Jacobs Summit this year. We’ve had an amazing run – 16 consecutive years – partnered with the likes of Gavin, R&R, the NAB, and recently, the fine folks at Arbitron.
But this year, we’re putting the Summit on ice and taking our own sabbatical or hiatus with the strong belief that we will be back for our Summit XVII in 2013. After a great run of guests from Little Steven to NPR’s Terry Gross to MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to Nikki Sixx to Harry Shearer, it’s time to give the Summit a much-needed breather. And on the executive level, David Field, Peter Smyth, David Rehr, Jerry Lee, Erica Farber, and many others who have lent their credibility to our event.
Grohl didn’t start out as a Foo Fighter. That’s the band he formed after Kurt Cobain took his life and with it, Nirvana. Grohl proved just how adaptable he was, and from the ashes of Nirvana, created something that has lasted a lot longer.
The Jacobs Summit also changed a great deal. At the beginning, it was the “Alternative Summit,” a quaint get-together for programmers who specialized in the Modern Rock format back in the ‘90s. Later, we opened up attendance to all our clients, and then eventually, the industry. Like all brands that sustain themselves, we made many changes and adaptations along the way.
But this year, we’re taking a breather, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be snuggled up in our warm dens this winter. Instead, we’ll be present and accounted for at the Arbitron Client Conference in December with a nifty session that we plan on announcing very soon. So we hope to see you there.
So don’t look for the entire band on stage or an afternoon of scintillating panels from us this year. We’re officially on hiatus.
Arbitron has a great agenda, and we’re proud to be part of it. See you in Annapolis in December.
We hope this hiatus works for Dave Grohl and his fellow Foo Fighters. We know it will be good for us.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Leave a Reply