Our Latest Industry Blogs

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?

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.