Traditional media is so easy to bash, and radio has its share of bashers. I hope that through the posts of this blog – now celebrating its 7th year – you’ve come to know us as strong supporters of the medium. But we’re always hoping for better. We are definitely core supporters of broadcast radio, while we also act as agent provocateurs. That’s because there are days when radio needs a hug, and others when it needs a kick in the ass. Today’s post is about the former. And...
It’s a weird thing about HD Radio. Like the topic of abortion on Talk/Radio, it is guaranteed to bring out extreme reactions. So while I’m expecting the usual negative comments from the usual naysayers, I hope the rest of you take a few minutes to read and consider today’s post. It’s about HD Radio from a different perspective: the view from car makers, automotive engineers, and marketers. Regular readers of this blog know that Paul and I made the trek to Las Vegas this month with a different plan for attacking CES. ...
Lori Lewis has now been with us for nearly a year, during which time our company continues to gain a better sense for how radio can best utilize social media resources – and how that interrelates to its overall digital strategy. As we’ve discussed on this blog before, many stations, clusters, and even companies are engaged in “random acts of digital,” moving from platform to platform almost as the mood strikes them. Instead, we strongly recommend the “umbrella strategy” approach – a harder way to go on the front end, but ultimately smarter and more...
You may have read some of our observations from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. We saw some amazing technology, met some bright people, and learned a lot about where the media world is headed. In the middle of this tech version of Disney World are thousands of smart, tuned-in professionals, start-up pros, and simply dreamers. So while we were navigating our way along with 153,000 other convention-goers in Las Vegas, we had an amazing encounter with an old friend. We bumped into Jerry Lee. As you probably know, Jerry is...
On Monday, we addressed the way the radio broadcast industry often reacts to the competitive threat posed by Pandora. Today, we’ll take a deeper dive into some alternative ways to think about Pandora and its impact on both traditional radio programming and sales. But first, the question that many in radio are (for some reason) asking: Is Pandora radio? Well, you can parse any definition you like, but to get an expert opinion, ask the experts. In this case, consumers, and let’s think about television. Viewers – especially those under 40 – don’t...
Today, a post from Tim Davis, a child of the storied Kodak company. Here’s his perspective watching a once-great corporation deny change, and ultimately declare bankruptcy. OK, full disclosure: Kodak is a company near and dear to me. My dad worked there through his retirement, and was instrumental in what (small) gains were made in their professional digital division. My brother also worked in the “family business” for 15 years before leaving because Kodak failed to move in what he believed was the obvious direction. Kodak, for nearly a century,...
The last couple weeks of 2011 were a mixed bag featuring several strange days indeed for broadcast radio. At a typically slow time of year around the holidays, it seemed like there were big events happening daily. Like in every other business, things move in cycles, and the big story even during the supposed quiet days before Christmas revolved around Pandora. Defining Pandora. Measuring Pandora. Excluding Pandora. Explaining away Pandora. Sadly, it feels like radio is entering the political arena – doing and saying anything it can to discredit and...
At no other moment in our business lifetimes has the phrase, “the way we’ve always done it,” been more harmful to the health of our companies and our industries. Leadership books and articles are less than a dime a dozen. They are ubiquitous and yet, true learning and insight are hard to find especially in an environment where the only constant is change. That’s why when we hear great advice from an important voice, it’s worthy of attention. American Public Media’s Bill Kling is one of those rare CEOs with...
In today’s post, Paul Jacobs dusts off those old rate cards and motivational cassettes to provide some serious insight into the challenges facing traditional radio sales staffs in a rapidly growing digital environment. A recent article in Inside Radio notes that as digital revenue grows, the number of digital-specific sales reps is shrinking. That’s right – we’ve got the spot sellers who are expert in Arbitron, CPM’s, PPM, and they’re the ones calling on media buyers at a time when radio revenue is expected to be flat. In the...
As consultants, we are exposed to more radio than most radio professionals at the local level. I don’t know if this makes us smarter, but it certainly provides us with a deep and broad perspective regarding who and what creates buzz, talk, and of course, ratings. This past week provides more evidence that going to extremes has its value. For some perspective, let’s go back to Howard Stern, a one-time nebbish who became a superstar by opening up his mic and his soul on the radio. For Stern, it was...
10 companies driving the SoLoMo revolution. Are you doing it right? http://t.co/lohYlHvH
RT @fnjacobs: What does the @GM decision to pull its #Facebook ads mean to the IPO & to marketers everywhere? http://t.co/RCRyVAcH Take a deep dive into what different radio format listeners are doing with tech via our Techsurvey8 Format Webinars http://t.co/U8m9FVj0
How should marketers & corporations be using @Facebook ? Thoughts about @Ford @GM & your brand on Facebook. http://t.co/RCRyVAcH
RT @michaelsb: Michael Brandvold's Radio Biz Today is out! http://t.co/ddDLJQbv ▸ Top stories today via @ralphjmedia @philson @therandylaneco @radio_ink
This is such great news! @candymandallas aka John Candelaria To Program KOAS And KVGS http://t.co/2F4ap3qv via @allaccess The challenges for the Country radio format kicks off Jacobs Media’s All-Format Techsurvey8 Format Webinars: http://t.co/1kijbaP0 Interested in our Techsurvey8 findings? Dive into the digital dirt on radio listeners with our Conclave webinar http://t.co/CDrzuLmi Zuckerberg holds an all night hackathon on the eve of the initial public offering for Facebook. http://t.co/rBLQmZgl #HackerWayLives What does the @GM decision to pull its #Facebook ads mean to the IPO & to marketers everywhere? http://t.co/RCRyVAcH "But they said it really loud, they said it on the air, on the radio..." http://t.co/YdJgYYgK Sincere thanks. RT @mikelellcessor: Of course. U helped 2 make it so RT @fnjacobs: I knew that. MT @mikelellcessor: It's called pubradio I knew that. MT @mikelellcessor: It's called pubradio MT @fnjacobs: @Figradio: WBCN, WFNX gone! Need a new fin model for narrow formats. GM: "Facebook Doesn't Work." Ford: "Yes It Does." Two different views. http://t.co/IxztAkhE via @fnjacobs Does @Ford have a better idea when it comes to Facebook? The @GM decision to pull its ad dollars. http://t.co/RCRyVAcH Tell me they didn't explain the lyrics to "Animals" “@LochlinCross: I took my daughters to #nickelback, the band was very nice to them.” The inside story about Country radio & the digital challenge. #Techsurvey8 webinar 5/24 | 2pm ET https://t.co/Iq6Nyzyh RT @PaulJacobsMedia: #GM says Facebook is a bad ad platform. #Ford says not so fast. Who's right? http://t.co/k3gUMNzw @lorilewis @jacobsmedia @adage
The Dying Rock Format 54 comment(s) 
No Sale 2 50 comment(s) 
Oh, Denise 42 comment(s) HD Radio’s New Campaign 35 comment(s) The Case For HD Radio 30 comment(s) The Windshield View From CES 22 comment(s) 
Kickass 20 comment(s) Big Frank Left You Off The Buy 19 comment(s) 
Take Your CUE 18 comment(s) 