A new year and a new FCC chairman coming into power. And by all accounts, that might very well mean that change is in the air for broadcasters. While the FCC may be famous for rubber stamping the vast majority of radio and TV license renewals, Brendan Carr is suggesting his term as chairman of the agency may indeed be very different. What might it mean for your station? Let’s talk about it.

Today’s post marks the end of our “Best of” series from 2024. It is a granular look at the digital content radio organizations have created during these past 30 years – and what might transpire moving forward. And I pose questions – 18 of them, in fact – every content creator and media executive should ask BEFORE greenlighting new media products and projects. This is an interactive process. I’m hoping to hear from many of you because this is truly a community effort. In fact, that may be the only way for radio to address its current set of daunting challenges. Have a look.

It is anyone’s guess whether 2025 turns out to be a rebound year for radio or a continuation of arduous times for the business. Thus, here’s a “Best of” blog post that’s almost one year-old that brought much-needed positive news about radio, defying conventional wisdom about the state of the medium. No, it didn’t change anything, but it felt good to start the new year on a positive, uplifting note. So, let’s try it again. And if no one’s said it to you recently, Happy New Year!

The big – and rather shocking – radio stories this past year came from across the border. It wasn’t that Bell Media was selling off more that 40% of their radio group to seven different broadcast companies – it was that one of their corporate officers announced the reason for the sale: radio is no longer a viable business, according to the company. In today’s “Best of” post, I’ll revisit what it meant to say the quiet part out loud, and why the effects of their announcement was most definitely felt in the 50 states in 2024 – and perhaps, beyond.

The “Best of JacoBLOG” starts this holiday week off, and brother Paul gives me an always welcome writing break. Today, he takes control of the keyboard to author what became one of the most ambitious posts of 2024. It’s all about about the state of radio digital transformation. It’s a tough read, but an important one we hoped would stimulate thought, criticism, and new ideas. Change is hard. But not changing is even harder. This post also marked the launch of Jacobs D.R., our digital revenue initiative spearheaded by Chris Brunt. We’re looking forward to big things in the new year and hope we can be part of the solution.