Our Latest Industry Blogs

In the radio industry, job insecurity has always been a way of life. But in recent years, RIFs seem more common than format changes. As personalities and hosts wring their hands over the next wave of exits, today’s #TBT post is a reminder that no one’s bigger than the radio station. After all, if it can happen on “Sesame Street”….

These days, you often hear there’s not a lot of interest in new music. And to complicate matters, there’s no central discovery tool where consumers go to find out about new releases they might have interest in. Today’s post is about one of the most talented musical artists of our time who took matters into his own hands last week. He launched his own stealth promotion for his no album. His promotion was so unconventional, it worked…like a charm.

The last few weeks have been jam-packed with “BREAKING NEWS” stories, forcing news organizations to step up their coverage and resources. But in an increasingly cluttered environment where memes may be more visible to more consumers than headlines, how can radio news stations stand out amidst the clutter? Fortunately, President Biden’s decision on Sunday provides us with a fascinating look at who did what – and why.

It’s no longer enough for media brands to provide good content. It is now about providing a great experience. And even the best brands are upping their games, including an incredible new mall experience from Netflix. For radio, it’s a reminder the bored intern and a prize wheel at local festivals and events just doesn’t cut it. How is your brand’s experience?

Last week our general manager Paul Jacobs asked everyone in our office to envision what the ideal radio station looks like in 2030 — if it’s built from the ground up. It’s a tough challenge for most of us who spend our waking lives constantly juggling daily industry news, monthly ratings, and quarterly budgets. The challenge is…

AI may be taking over the world, but some brands are pushing back. And they’re trying to make the human touch a defining difference of how they do business. Is there a “there there” for radio?

Life is all about choices and risk. So, is radio. And our #TBT blog post is all about those characteristics in the person of Dr. Ruth Westheimer. This radio pioneer passed away last week, and today’s post was a tribute we wrote about her back in 2015 for our “Radio’s Most Innovative” series. I was fortunate to be able to ask her a few questions, and she graciously responded. Dr. Ruth was truly a radio risk-taker.

Did you see the announcement yesterday that Skyview Networks signed a YouTube star to host a radio show that will be called “Classic Rock U?” It’s hosted by a guy you probably haven’t heard of from a small town in Idaho. I caught up with him recently, and got the chance to interview him for this blog. He is nothing short of remarkable, and I predict, so will this show be.

“Is rock dead?” That’s a question radio and label execs as well as music critics have been debating for years. And how do they explain the classic rock phenomenon, a sub-genre of rock that has kept the music alive and popular? In today’s JacoBLOG, we not only let the data do the talking, but we turn over the conversation to analysts who have made it their mission to better understand music’s impact on pop culture – and on US. Get ready to nerd out.

Since Donald Trump took that fateful ride down that escalator in Trump Tower back in 2015, the news cycle in this country has been greatly altered. “Breaking news” is persistent, forcing news organizations to redefine their coverage parameters. And that’s true whether we’re talking commercial, public, Christian, music, or spoken word radio. What is the audience telling us about broadcast radio’s “job to be done” in this rapidly changing environment?