Our Latest Industry Blogs

The Rolling Stones announced their “Hackney Diamonds” tour last week as the band celebrates its 60th anniversary as mega rock stars. But perhaps the surprise is the tour’s title sponsor – not exactly a brand Swifties embrace or even know about. The Stones are both brilliant marketers and unapologetic capitalists. For them, it’s about green, not gray. Indeed, it is NOT a drag getting old.

Welcome to the weekend whose middle name is “THANKS.” For this year’s holiday, it is all about gratitude – giving it to those who’ve made a differrence in your life or career path, as well as those receiving the appreciation for their generosity. I’ve got one of those exercises to help us put this holiday in perspective, as well as thoughts about why gratitude can actually make us feel more optimistic about the road ahead. Ready?

One of the more profound way these troubled times have taken their toll is that most of us have fewer friends and we see them less often than ever. So how can the audience’s need for companionship be met? According to our Techsurvey, one of the top ten reasons why people still listen to broadcast radio is to “keep them company.” Companionship is one of radio’s remaining superpowers, and it very much figures into how great stations can succeed over the long haul. Click to learn more.

Almost exactly one year ago to the day of ChatGPT’s release to the public, it has already been responsible for a key job loss – its CEO. Last week, OpenAI – the company that brought this platform to market – fired Sam Altman, raising questions about where this technology is headed. Radio broadcasters should be asking their own questions about AI, learning as much as they can to both protect and grow their companies. With our upcoming Techsurvey fielding in January, commercial radio listeners will take a crack at telling us their perceptions, hopes, and fears about this amazing technology. We will most definitely paying attention.

Exactly one decade ago, Jacobs Media launched our first DASH Conference here in Detroit, in collaboration with Radio Ink and auto consultant, Valerie Shuman. Appropriately on #TBT, I’ve dusted off a blog post that’s 10 years-old that hopefully still resonates when it comes to radio’s newly defined position in the automotive world. In this old post, we laid out a 6-point plan of action for the radio broadcasting industry in its effort to keep up with its #1 listening location – the car. Check out that post, and keep score for me, OK? How did WE do? And how has radio done?

In yesterday’s post, I highlighted Scott Westerman, the broadcast vet who has resurrected the radio station he grew up with – Keener 13 in Detroit. Today, it’s two modern-day stories of radio’s magnetic pull among Gen Z’s of today – on a huge scale at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, and in the Upper Peninsula in a small town on the shores of Lake Superior. But the narrative is the same – expose teens to radio, and then get out of the way. The dream of young generations embracing radio is becoming a reality. Click here to check it out.

How did YOU get into radio? Surely, there’s a story, and it’s probably unique to you. As today’s radio industry struggles to entice young people to consider a career in radio broadcasting, perhaps we can learn something from our history. Past is indeed prologue. And as some of us are beginnning to find, today’s Gen Z’s may be every bit as smitten by radio as many of us were. Maybe we just need to create the on-ramps for them. Ready, set, go!

Radio listeners rarely get the opportunity to hear their favorite DJs interact with one another, so provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your station.

The drumbeat for digital revenue gets louder for radio companies with each passing quarter. But as 2023 has taught us – often the hard way – generating serious, sustainable digital revenue can be a diffiicult and painful task. For some organizations, it has resulted in staff layoffs and massive losses. But today, we’re going to point to a template of success that can work for any media team willing to do a minimum of due diligence and brainstorming. It’s about learning how to play a new game.