Posts Tagged ‘ Ratings ’

Twitter TV

February 11, 2013
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Twitter TV

As Lori Lewis has reminded Jacobs Media clients and the many readers of her weekly “Merge” column in All Access, you have to understand the various social media platforms in order to benefit from them. This is especially true in the ongoing discussion about Facebook and Twitter.  Lori frequently fields questions about the differences between these two platforms, because so many believe that the relative size of each is the determinant of whether stations or personalities use them.  When it comes to Twitter, she’ll tell you that all things...

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Audience Estimates

December 21, 2012
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Audience Estimates

The “December Surprise” – Nielsen purchasing Arbitron – is undoubtedly a game-changer for the media business.  And many in radio are hopeful that the sale means good things for the industry. While the devil is always in the details, this move would seem to be a big crossroads moment for radio, media, and measurement – at a time when innovation is necessary. We’re at that point – more and more consumers are turning to multiple screens, digital media, and a bevy of options.  And it will all intensify after the...

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Digital Deniers

December 10, 2012
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Digital Deniers

This past election should be a reminder to all of us that while some people consider basic assumptions as “givens,” others vehemently disagree. That’s been the case about climate change.  While 2012 has now been designated as the warmest year in the history of the U.S., marked by a number of extreme weather events, climate change deniers demand to be heard.  That same mentality is very much alive in radio.  Even though there is evidence – and lots of it – that consumers are adopting digital lifestyles, there are still many...

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Ratings Whore

July 10, 2012
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Ratings Whore

On the one hand, I admire DJs and personalities who have a desire to be in the know when it comes to the ratings.  After all, its their report card.  But on the other, you have to worry that there’s a tendency to get so caught up in the gyrations of the ratings that it negatively impacts their performance. This ratings roller coaster is on display every Sunday night on HBO’s The Newsroom, the new Aaron Sorkin drama that takes viewers behind the scenes of a TV news show...

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Classic Rock Rocks

June 15, 2012
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Classic Rock Rocks

Hard to believe, but it was 27 years ago that I pulled my Mazda RX7 into Charlotte, Michigan, and flipped the fourth AC in the market – WMMQ – to America’s first FM Classic Rock station. The format back then was a bit broader than most of today’s more “modern” Classic Rockers, but it’s interesting and notable that MMQ is still a big dog in Lansing, Michigan today.  Along with some of the original Classic Rockers of that time period are still around – WCSX, WKLH, WZLX, and others – these...

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Best Of jacoBLOG – Bombasity & Bloviation

December 23, 2011
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Best Of jacoBLOG – Bombasity & Bloviation

As we have done the past couple years, our final posts to wrap-up 2011 are our version of a “Best of.”  But this year, we’re not making these calls based on OUR opinion of what resonated with you – instead, we’ve turned to the metrics.  The blogs that wrap-up the year generated the most traffic and comments. We start with an entry about how radio has lost its bragging rights, the need to “walk the walk,” and some thoughts about the Merlin Media sign-ons.  This one generated a LOT...

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Bombasity & Bloviation

November 9, 2011
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Bombasity & Bloviation

So much in radio has changed, but you know that. As we watch the recent staffing cutbacks by both Clear Channel and Cumulus, it has to send out a message that in spite of all the rampant consolidation, something must have gone very wrong.  This is evidenced by the seeming necessity to cut budgets and staff, the biggest activity these companies are initiating.  And of course, it translates not to better, more innovative radio, but a loss of jobs that leads to something called more efficient operations. And what...

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Sales Couldn’t Sell “The Simpsons”

November 7, 2011
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Sales Couldn’t Sell “The Simpsons”

Just when you thought that it could only happen in radio, TV Guide reported that Fox told the voice actors who star on The Simpsons that they either take nearly a 50% pay cut or the network will cancel the show.  (They ultimately settled for a reported 30% reduction.) Why is this happening?  At $440,000 an episode for the voices of Homer, Marge, Bart, etc., Fox claimed that the show was no longer profitable.  After nearly a quarter century, the network is somehow struggling to generate enough revenue for an incredible...

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The Devil Is In the Demographics

October 25, 2011
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The Devil Is In the Demographics

A recent Inside Radio article highlighted some of the differences in format performance between the Arbitron diary and their PPM metered markets.  The source?  Arbitron’s “Radio Today” that covers the Fall ’10 diary markets along with the October/November/December PPM reports for the same basic period. My bet is that this story will rile up a lot of broadcasters in both diary and PPM markets who feel like they’ve gotten screwed.  (Of course, those who have higher ratings with their respective methodologies won’t say a word and thank their lucky stars it’s...

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Summer In The Twin Cities – Conclave 2011

July 12, 2011
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Summer In The Twin Cities – Conclave 2011

On Thursday, we'll be hosting our second "Summer School" at Conclave.  Last year was the first time we were invited to take over a four-hour chunk of the agenda, and we not only had a great time putting it together, but it was extremely well-attended and the "students" were really engaged. "Summer School" has become one of our favorites because we can put together a lot of different content and then share it in 20-30 minute energetic bites.  This year, we'll be featuring some of the Jacobs Media staff,...

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