Fred Jacobs' Notes From The Radio Show

Sam Matheny, Fred Jacobs, Steve Newberry, Scott Burnell

A busy week at The Radio Show and a decidedly more upbeat radio industry taking in the sights and sounds of Music City.  From Fred Jacobs (President of Jacobs Media Strategies) blog, here are a few quick hits:

• There was a nice buzz at the conference, a congenial and large crowd, and a positive feeling about radio.
• That said, many of the same “ize” words permeated the air.  How do we smartly digitize?  What’s the smartest way to strategize? How do we effectively monetize?  How can we best prioritize?  The radio industry continues to try to figure it all out.
• The buzz topic this year had to be podcasting, punctuated by Nielsen’s announcement that they’re figured out how to measure on-demand audio.  Here’s the money quote from Brad Kelly:

“It’s no longer about measuring the device, like television or radio. It’s about measuring the consumer and their behavior.”

• And podcasting sessions from Amplifi Media’s Steve Goldstein and our Seth Resler (with the NAB’s Josh Miely) were packed – a strong indicator about how broadcasters are trying to get their heads around podcasting.
• The “connected car” has been elevated to a key topic in radio circles.  I participated in a free-wheeling panel conversation with Ford’s Scott Burnell and Commonwealth Broadcasting’s Steve Newberry.  Moderated by NAB Chief Technical Officer Sam Matheny, we covered a lot of ground from the technical side to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.  But a big conclusion voiced by all three of us panelists was the need for radio to double-down on its content game to remain competitive in the ever-crowded dash.

For some reason, I seemed to run into more people I hadn’t seen in a number of years, a reminder that it’s always great to connect with old friends and colleagues in the radio business.

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