Our Latest Industry Blogs

When was the last time you actually thought about your station’s (or your company’s) mobile app strategy? How often do you research your mobile initiatives to make sure they’re aligned with your master strategy? Recently, ESPN redefined its entire mobile scheme, and with it, their content ecosystem. Paul and I did some homework on what it could mean for radio broadcasters. And that’s what today’s blog post is all about.

In Tuesday’s post, I outlined a rough schematic for how public radio could use its latest “Trump Bump” to carve out a path for the future. In today’s post, it’s put-up-or-shut-up time. As we wrap up a short week, this post will fill in some of the blanks and color in some solutions to remedy our nation’s beleaguered public radio stations:

In Tuesday’s post, I outlined a rough schematic for how public radio could use its latest “bump” to carve out a path for the future.  In today’s post, it’s put-up-so-shut-up time.  As we wrap up a short week, I’ll use this post to fill in the blanks and color in the sketch that included a…

Radio programmers are often criticized for being “old school,” focused on ratings rather than on entertaining. But today’s #TBT post questions that logic using real world examples of broadcast radio PDs who have made the transition to the digital world. And soon, Pandora—and perhaps Spotify—may find out just what great radio programmers are capable of. The really talented ones can program anything.

What kind of year has it been so far in radio? We know digital revenue is up, while traditional billing is down. And Christian radio continues to shine. But in public radio, it’s been a tough go since the defunding decision by Congress earlier in the summer. How can public radio stations and their operators respond, stay relevant, and healthy in an increasingly turbulent environment? It turns out these action steps and solutions will resonate for everyone in radio.

As radio’s financial fortunes falter, broadcasters are talking about what it means to be “digital first.” That’s the topic of today’s blog post, as traditional media—like radio and newspapers—consider strategic alternatives.

Labor Day Weekend 2025 is upon us, a time of barbeques, picnics, baseball, and beaches. Speaking of the sand and sea, today’s post has a few thoughts about some of the key players still working hard in radio. Enjoy your weekend!

News operations have a “morgue”—files where stories, bios, photos, videos, and other resources can be quickly rolled out when an important newsmaker dies. As we should have learned in radio, preparation for the inevitable passing of music stars is not only smart for brands—it can also deliver ratings. It is also an opportunity for broadcast radio to prove its mettle versus streaming music services, podcasts, and satellite radio. After the passing of Ozzy Osbourne last month, I hope you enjoy today’s #TBT post from 2021.

Not a lot of flourish in today’s JacoBLOG email. Today’s post is different from the norm. It’s about ME. I hope you get a few minutes to read it.

Why is it that when it comes to rebrands and logo evolutions, otherwise smart, sane brands often lose their minds, making truly lamentable mistakes? That’s what happened to a major cable network and a restaurant/gift store franchise last week. Today’s blog post goes down the marketing rabbit hole to explain what NOT to do.