We love having Fred Jacobs from Jacobs Media on the show to discuss things like Tech Survey and the AQ Study. What do listeners come to radio for? Well since 2018 it has been for personalities first, then music. I'm not sure what you are being told from your program director, but depending on the market or format, they could be working off some old thinking. We also spoke about the lack of women in various radio roles including on air and the need for more female program directors. We also discussed the disconnect between AI and innovation, and some of the perceptions that "podcasting is taking over" when in fact, most radio P1 listeners are not that interested in the medium. One of the more successful formats is Christian Radio when has all the things commercial radio strives for... an emotional connection with listeners. We also discussed the financial struggles of public radio.
Fred Jacobs returns to discuss the state of the radio industry and the key insights from Jacobs' annual research studies, AQ6 and Tech Survey.
But like most things with Matt, he starts off with the state of the Detroit Lions and Fred's decision to leave X, which he documented in one of his daily blogs.
This isn't the first time leaving Twitter has been floated around Jacobs Media; in 2022 Seth Resler gave radio stations permission to ditch the platform. Since then it has been a slow burn.
But we know you are here to address the challenges radio faces in navigating the evolving digital and terrestrial landscape.
The conversation then turns to the Jacobs Media AQ study, which focuses on the experiences of on-air personalities. Fred describes the high level of engagement and attention the study receives at the annual Morning Show Boot Camp, as air talent seek to understand the grim trends impacting their profession.
We addressed a few slides including the lack of gender diversity in radio, both in leadership roles and on-air. And Fred Jacobs implored radio to heed the need for more women program directors to drive change.
The discussion also delves into radio's struggles with digital initiatives, such as podcasting. Jacobs cautions against "random acts of digital"; without proper planning and execution, and highlights the importance of data-driven audience engagement through tools like newsletters.
Who's succeeding? Christian radio. Finally with January around the corner - we talked about the Consumer Electronic Show in Vegas.