Yup, today’s the day. This blog turns ten years old– an entire decade of posts, observations, opinions, and hopefully, not too much blather about the radio business and how it fits into the expanding world of media, entertainment, and information.
Many of you know Tim Davis who was our director of digital during the early years. It was at his insistence (with lots of cajoling and convincing) that JacoBLOG was started. He felt strongly that blogging was a key distribution outlet for a company like ours. He was right.
As we started planning what the blog would look like, its mission, and the actual product, I asked him how people would find it (remember that social media was virtually non-existent) and how often I should actually write posts.
Tim explained that if our content was any good, people would find it – and share it. On that count, he was correct. Our better posts get shared and talked about – sometimes, a lot. And the ones that…well, maybe aren’t so good…certainly do not go viral.
As for frequency, he told me that I should post often enough so that people would be able to develop a degree of regularity in their readership. I thought about that one, and concluded that much like a daily newspaper, people get in the habit when it shows up every day.
So for the past ten years, I have committed to writing fresh content every weekday – without fail. That has, at times, turned out to a bit of a burden. But it has also made me a better writer (which is obvious if you go back to our archives and look at some of the early posts), a better reader, a better listener, and a better thinker.
But I’ve also learned – as many of you have from your activity on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others – that it isn’t always easy to predict which posts will resonate and which will stiff.
I’ve been surprised – both in good and bad ways – by the results of posts that I thought were profound, observant, and insightful…but apparently weren’t. And others that were almost throwaways that ended up being immensely popular, especially based on the comments they generated.
I have learned that as Tim predicted, I actually had a lot to say about a lot of things. And this blog has provided me with that digital podium to be able to express thoughts and observations. I have become more aware and respectful over the years, trying very hard to post material that is worthy of your time and thought-process. Again, with varied results.
But I think that one of the big outcomes of this blog is that we’ve found our voice. We try to walk that line between being something of an agent provocateur – urging anyone and everyone in radio (including ourselves) to step it up and do better – as well as a supporter of a medium that frankly needs to be nurtured and taken better care of than it often is.
I look at some of the things we posted in the first several months (the very first post is below), and compare it to today, and there’s no question that the writing and observations are better. The posts are also longer today, which may not be a good thing given how much busier we all are.
I have learned that anger and revenge are not good emotional states for the blog. Neither is arrogance. You’ve told us through your readership and comments over the years that it’s unpleasant to have a feeling of being looked down upon or made to feel stupid.
I get it. We’re all on a steep learning curve with radio and new media. We’re all often amazed and overwhelmed by the high-speed rate of change. And we’re all trying to understand what it means to our brands and to us as professionals and people. If in a small way, this blog helps to unravel some of the confusion and connects a few dots, then it’s accomplishing what it was designed to do.
One of the initiatives we started last year reinforces a lot of our thinking: Radio’s Most Innovative, where we salute new thinking and risk-taking in radio over the years or right now today. It has been especially rewarding for us, especially because so many people believe there’s no innovation, experimentation, or risk-taking in radio.
From Dr. Demento on the one hand to NPR One on the other, I believe that by shining the light on innovators from the past and the present, we provide reinforcement to anyone in and around the business that it is possible to do great things that can have impact, whether they’re invented out of your garage, your studio, your laboratory, or your mind.
I do get some help with this blog, and I want to acknowledge our guest bloggers who give me a much-needed break from time to time. Some of them work for Jacobs Media or jācapps, while others provide content from the outside. But the other key contributors are those of you who send, tweet, or post links that you think might be interesting topics for future stories and think pieces. I am especially grateful to those of you who stimulate posts by making me aware of new ideas, articles, and items that I should know about but can’t always keep up with. Paul Jacobs and Lori Lewis are very frequent contributors with their web discoveries and observations, so a special thanks to them.
I’d also like to thank Elnora Lowe and Lisa Riker who post most of the entries you read, including this one. And of course, Tim Davis for pushing me to start the blog ten years ago today.
I cannot thank you enough for supporting JacoBLOG over the past decade by reading it, commenting on it, and sharing it with your friends and co-workers. It is immensely gratifying when I get cc’d on an email telling me one of our posts was distributed to an entire company or large group of employees.
And the PDs reading this (and I still consider myself one of you) will know exactly what I’m saying with this final thought…
Great ratings books are always exciting, and exactly what programmers strive for. They’re the equivalent of page views and shares for this blog. But for a PD, there is immense personal satisfaction in pulling up to that stoplight and seeing the person in the next car jamming out to your station or laughing along with your morning show. In that same way, when I’m visiting a client station or attending a conference, and someone tells me they read our post that morning and enjoyed it, it provides a very similar degree of confirmation that on some days we’re on target.
So thanks again for reading our blog. And maybe our success with JacoBLOG might encourage some of you to start one of your own. It’s never been technically easier, it can be a great way to express yourself, and you might end up building a community of your own.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to post every weekday, just as we have these past ten years.
Let’s see where we can take it from here.
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.
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Happy Anniversary!!! Read the blog every day. Keep it up.
Thanks so much, Dick.
Wow, 10 years. Like Dick, I never miss your blog, and have always strongly encouraged my co-workers to do the same. Congrats!
Thanks, Harvey, for the kind words. As someone who paid to hear me blather for many years, I’m glad the content still has some relevance. 🙂
Congratulations Fred! You continue to make me think about this business and I almost always have a reaction of some kind to you writings. That’s special stuff!
I appreciate that, Jeff. I always love to hear your “take” and thanks for your comments and encouragement.
Fred, tremendous achievement. I’m a fan. I know it hasn’t always been easy, but your reward is knowing through this blog, its messages and your intention, you’ve made a significant “ding” in the radio world. Thank you.
Larry, thanks. You’re pioneering podcasts – yet another way to make a statement about our changing industry. Thanks so much.
Fred, You continue to have one of the must read blogs of the day. It brings a fresh perspective that’s needed in radio today and you rarely lose sight of what’s most important to all of us in radio.
Thank you.
Kirk, thanks for the kind words and for reading our blog. Much appreciated.
Congrats and cheers to you, Fred, and the entire Jacobs team on the occasion of this milestone. Your blog matters, you guys are making a difference. Bravos. All the best,
From you, Dave, a high compliment. You’ve been very inspirational to me over the years. Many thanks.
As you know, we at WEMU were early adopters and readers of your blog. I never miss a post. WEMU GM Molly Motherwell is also an avid reader. She shares many of your messages with the staff. I had this huge fear when you wrote about having authored the blog for so long that you were about to do the equivalent of “hanging up the headphones”. Thank God you’re going to stick with it. Yes – it’s hard to come up with fresh ideas five days a week, but in this case, you are much like a public radio host who has to come up with something fresh every day to keep those inquisitive listeners tuned in. You are an inspiration to all of us who get in the radio trenches every day with (we hope) compelling and entertaining programming. Bravo, my friend.
Linda, I cannot tell you how much your comments and thoughts are appreciated. I have the utmost respect for any on-air host tasked with conjuring up great topics and treatments every day, and in a sense, perhaps feel some of the pressure with each passing day. Like those of you fortunate enough to be on the air and serving your communities via radio, I feel blessed I’m involved with a project that reaches an interested audience of radio and media professionals who take my musings mostly seriously. Thanks for being there early on, and all the best to Molly and your dedicated, passionate staff at WEMU.
Congrats and Thank You for the 10 years of blogs, Fred. They are definitely must-read. The unplanned proof of that is this comment: I’m just getting to this blog the next day, because of my hectic day yesterday. Your blog is fair, thought-provoking and relevant, and actionable. It asks hard questions, but never looks down on the reader. They are a topic of discussion among our teams often. Plus, anyone who references Frank Zappa and the Mothers once in a while has to be on my list. Looking forward to more. Congrats again.
Ken, thanks much for the comments and the thumbs-up. As for the rock n’ roll references, I need those now and again as a reminder to those who read the blog (and ME!) where this all came from. Thanks for your readership and your support.