We always hear “Radio needs to do a better job telling its story.” But where would the creative come from and how could broadcasters pay for it – especially in this economy? OK, here’s some back of the napkin math for you.

One of the existential quandaries in radio programming involves how long to keep spinning those songs on the playlist, whether you’re the new hip-hop station or the classic rock king. Today’s “Best of” post from earlier this year takes on the notion of music burn-out and its role in consumers getting tired of a radio station. It turns out we can learn a lot from a marketing whiz who offers insights about ad “wear-in” to the conversation. I think you’ll find it helpful as this crazy year wraps up.

Our “Best of JacoBLOG” continues during this holiday week. Today’s throwback post is part 2 of “Is Public Radio A Victim Of Its Own Org Chart?” a two-parter that stirred up much conversation when it first published last July. It questions public radio’s “the way we’ve always done it” mindset, taking a deep dive into “brilliant at the basics” programming and on-air marketing. Rethinking these “givens” could help turn around what may be remembered as the most challenging year in public radio’s long and prooud history.

Welcome to the “Best of JacoBLOG” as we sprint – or perhaps better put – stagger to the end of yet another challenging year. Today’s throwback post from 2024 ran last January, looking ahead to the new year. While it wasn’t designed to be predictive of 2024, it turned out to discuss some of the key issues many of us have faced these past 12 months. I hope you find it helpful, and maybe even fodder for how we’ll need to prepare ourselves for the year ahead.