Our Latest Industry Blogs

Producing and executing a successful personality show has only gotten more challenging over the years. While there are amazing prep tools – including AI – it still comes down to making the right choices on topics that connect with your station’s target audience. Fortunately, there’s research for that, guides to ensure you’re talking about the most relatable topics for your audience. Let’s go to the numbers.

When we were walking the halls of CES this January, we came upon a great display from Ray-Ban.  They were showcasing a re-imagined pair of glasses that utilizes AI and had other features like audio integration and cameras. Seeing how new technology like smart speakers have changed radio consumption, I was curious in particular how…

How and where do consumers discover new music today and does radio still play a role in that process? Today’s #TBT post is a journey back to 2021, not so long ago in real time, but for radio and records, it may seem like a much longer trip back into the past. Even then, radio’s role in the discovery process was greatly diminished. But that post asked some “what if?” questions that might still hold up today. You often need to understand your history in order to make sense of the present while you try to plan for an uncertain future. So what’s the best new song YOU’VE heard lately? And where did you first hear it?

As the radio business in the U.S. is roiled by competition and changing times, the industry’s core assets – its air talent – continue to feel the pressure. Every year, Jacobs Media in collaboration with Morning Show Boot Camp conduct the AQ survey, a look inside the hearts and minds of radio’s VIPs – its talent. Here’s the story this year and where we’ll need your help.

There’s no shortage of angry, frustrated people in the world – especially on social media. And when you or your station is attacked, the easy response is the swift response. But when the attacker is the CEO of one of the world’s most successful companies, it may require a different response that’s usually more effective, especially when the bully in question is none other than Elon Musk. How do you and/or your station respond when the going gets tough and those trolls come out of the woodwork?

We are all hoping for a strong second half for local radio this year. Of course, hope is not a strategy. But innovation is. And today’s blog focuses on what one broadcast company known for its small market portfolio has been strategically doing to create a major impact in the market they serve. Could your company, cluster, or station pull off a similar feat? Let’s find out.

Welcome to “Halftime 2024.” This 4th of July holiday marks the mid-point of the year. As this holiday full of barbeques and fireworks is upon us, I’ve got four fundamental questions to answer for our radio stations, our companies, and ourselves. Enjoy your time off and today’s post.

The deluge of new media and technology compels us to think differently, whether you’re an FM radio station in Minot or you’re Microsoft. Last month, the CEO of the latter challenged the industry and his own company to be more relevant or face the inevitable thinning of the media and technology herd. In today’s post, I’ve taken that charge seriously, providing three good examples of how to pivot a career and make it work. Will it be inspiration to you at this time in your career cycle? You tell me.

Radio’s issue with AI – or vice-versa – get more interesting with each passing week. The newest episode comes from television where a certain high-profile network sports personality has given his permission to use his voice for a high-profile marketing campaign around the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. There are major implications with using the AI voice of a superstar talent for promotional purposes, something radio broadcasters will eventually have to deal with, probably sooner rather than later.

The COVID ordeal is one we’d all just aa soon forget. But the pandemic resurrected QR codes, a safe, clean way to access restaurant menus. And from there, the technology was reborn. Today’s blog post shares the newest research results for QR codes – who’s using them and what they use them for. For radio, they might prove to be a free promotional tool during an economic time when marketing budgets are at a premium or they no longer exist.