If you were a reader of Superman comics back in the day, you may remember an odd spinoff character, Bizarro. Created by Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, Bizarro was a flawed copy of the Man of Steel who did everything…. well, oddly. There was even a Bizarro World, a planet where everything worked opposite of how life works here on earth.
Radio feels a lot like Bizarro World at times. Consider the problems being faced by Fox News, a news channel faced with the "problem" of declining younger viewership. And a recent study indicates that only 23% of 18-29s say they learn anything meaningful about elections from watching TV network news shows.
This issue of losing younger viewers is a major topic in TV circles. The Internet is full of articles dealing with various solutions to this problem, ranging from featuring less depressing news stories to raiding MTV.
In radio, we cannot run away from younger listeners fast enough. We continue to see young-end stations – in Alternative and other formats – sacrificed to create more 25-54 targeted stations. And as noted in a blog here this month, few HD2 formats appeal to 18-24s, much less teens. How bizarre.
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.
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
- Why Radio Needs To Stop Chasing The Puck - November 21, 2024
- Great Radio – In The Niche Of Time? - November 20, 2024
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