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 records are businesses that are searching for new platforms, additional revenue sources, and a way out of this mess. While the two have been going at it tooth-and-nail on Capitol Hill, R&R actually became the big story of the day. It has implications that go well beyond Billboard's decision to stop the bleeding.
For us at Jacobs Media, this is personal. We have had a great relationship with R&R going back decades. Many at R&R, from Erica Farber to Cyndee Maxwell to Mike Stern and Mike Boyle to Paul Heine, have become friends and colleagues. And going back over the years, we've shared some good times and a few challenging moments with AOR editors like Jeff Gelb, Steve Feinstein, Harvey Kojan, and Ken Anthony. And of course, our friend Max Tolkoff, who helped transition our "Alternative Summit" from an intimate Gavin gathering to the successful event that it has become over the past decade.
R&R covered our industry, while it championed our industry. We've just lost an important voice. As radio and records has been embroiled in a not-so-nice battle that has shaken the roots of a decades-long relationship, we have just lost an important media microphone in the process.
We wish everyone at R&R well.
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, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
- Why Radio Needs To Stop Chasing The Puck - November 21, 2024
The loss of R&R saddens me DEEPLY. A fantastic source for radio industry news, ratings and even potential job leads for talent and management has just dried up. What’s next for cryin’ out loud!?