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.