Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re likely not going to want to read today’s post. It’s about the 5-year anniversary of COVID, an event we’d just as soon forget. But I’m hoping you’ll open it up and join me in thinking about how radio has been permanently impacted by a tragedy no one anticipated or was prepared for. The pandemic forever changed radio, and in order to move forward, we’ve got to process the past. It’s about perceptions, trust, and giving the audience more credit and power than we usually do.

Last fall, every news outlet was on fire with the alleged bad behavior of P Diddy. But the idea of trying to separate the man from his music is not a new dilemma for audiences – or for radio programmers. It’s been happening for more than a century. Today’s post asks some difficult questions of the radio managers tasked with making these tough calls.

Podcasting continues its growth curve, thanks to expanding audiences and the move to visual podcasts. For years, it was all about audio on this platform, but the growing trend is the increasing dominance of video podcasts – especially on YouTube. And now another massive player in television may be ready to throw its hat in the video podcasting ring. So what can radio learn from this burgeoning trend?

The impressive YouTube empire now celebrates its 20th anniversary. It’s a platform with a fascinating growth curve. And as many radio broadcasters have learned, there’s revenue to be earned. Let me walk you through it.

JacoBLOG readers know a running topic here is dashboard metadata – how radio broadcasters can direct-message their listeners behind the wheel. While so much about audio entertainment has changed in recent years, there’s been one constant: the car remains radio’s #1 listening location. But the dashboard continues to rapidly evolve, and we’re tracking its progress in our annual Techsurveys. In fact, in today’s post, I’ve got a data point from the just completed Techsurvey 2025 study that may end up becoming the most dramatic finding of this year’s study. Buckle up!