JacoBlog - Jacobs Media's Blog

Wassup?

In the all-important lexicon of how best to report one's news and views, Twitter has made a left turn perhaps into the right place to maximize its ability to rapidly spread the word to networks of users.

You may recall that from the beginning, Twitter's 140 character or less question was "What are you doing?"  Of course, that was exactly what jock sniffers and star chasers around the globe wanted to know, as they followed everyone from Shaq to Britney. 

But for the rest of us, this question tends toward responses like "Having my nails done," "Running errands," or my favorite, "Waiting for the big game." 

While Twitter's rapid growth is impressive, one of the reasons why many tire of the service is that it is self-indulgent, to the point where it is hard to care about the mundane activities of people's lives (much less your own). 

But Facebook, realizing the power of "now," changed its home page to "What's on your mind?" - a similar but different way to engage its rapidly expanding membership.  As Facebook users know only too well, however, this change has spawned many of the same insignificance from its users, cluttering pages with useless, tiresome information about the boring intricacies of the lives of their "friends." 

So in an about-face, Twitter has changed it prime greeting to "What's happening?"  And in the process, they may have changed the game.

 

Maybe this new question will inspire Tweets to become more current, more meaningful, more informational, more entertaining - and hopefully, less personal and trivial.  When Jerry Seinfeld related the humor of mundane activities, it was hilarious.  For most other people, not so much. 

As founder Biz Stone notes, "Twitter helps you share and discover what's happening now among all the things, people and events you care about." 

Let's hope so, because if this service is going to provide users with real information and not just a lot of philosophical blathering and self-gratifying comments, the Twitter lens needs to show us something we don't know but ought to care about.

<CLICK HERE TO WATCH WASSUP VIDEO>

Weatherman

Where is it going?  That's always a big topic, and the blogosphere has no shortage of experts and geniuses who will tell you they have the answer to what's ailing radio, and what we'll all be doing in five years.  

It's a lot like the stock market.  There is the ongoing avalanche of analysts, many of whom have great credentials.  But then there's Warren Buffett.  Yes, he's had a tough year, but over the long haul, investing in his Berkshire Hathaway has been a pretty good bet.

Google has amassed a pretty solid track record, too.  Not all their experiments and projects have paid huge dividends - like radio advertising - but it's tough to argue with their track record.  

That's why their recent purchase of AdMob caught my attention.  For a mere $750 million in stock, Google now owns another piece of the mobile ad machine.  

This is especially noteworthy because it signals another investment in the mobile space for Google.  As we have learned at jacAPPS - our mobile application division - there is an abundance of optimism, and it's backed up by industry metrics.

Paul Palmieri, CEO of Millennial Media chimes in with his view: "Today Google validated what many companies including Millennial have thought for years - that mobile is a different market with a huge potential for advertising; possibly a bigger opportunity than online media."

It's interesting that we first started our mobile division, and then actually went to school on this space.  My best teacher has been a Finnish consultant, Tomi Ahonen.  He now lives in South Korea, and is the author of Mobile as 7th of the Mass Media.  

This guy totally "gets" what's happening in mobile, especially in more advanced countries outside the U.S. (as odd as that sounds).  It is more than a little interesting that in in other parts of the world, credit cards are becoming rare while more and more consumers are paying for everything with their mobile devices. 

This is where the action is.  In a recent article, "What Hath Apple Wrought,"  Inside Digital Media president, Philip Leigh, notes that "outside America, most people connect to the Internet over a mobile device.  At 1.2 billion units, worldwide mobile phone sales are about four times those of personal computers."

And it is mobile that has turbo-charged the recent growth in Pandora sign-ups.  More than 45,000 of the 65,000 new daily registrations for that Internet radio channel come from its various mobile apps. "Our future is going to be more mobile-centric than I had even thought, and sooner," says Pandora founder Tim Westergren. 

And all this at a time when some broadcasters are still debating the wisdom of streaming.  The winds of change are blowing hard, and there are no signs of a letup.  

Mel Karmazin thinks this Christmas will signal a significant rise in the sales of satellite radio.  My money is on mobile gadgets - iPhones, Droids, and the like.  With WalMart, (Radio) Shack, BestBuy, and Costco all selling more affordable iPhones and iPod Touch devices, the forecast calls for an even more ubiquitous mobile environment.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.  

The New King of All Media?

Here’s a guest post from Jacobs Media’s talent guru, Keith Cunningham, with some observations about a new celebrity phenomenon.

Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco is at it again.  But this time he’s not changing his name, hilariously trash-talking with opponents, catching touchdowns, or racing thoroughbred horses – he’s on the way to becoming a media monster.

The outspoken NFL star has partnered with Motorola to set up a social news network on Twitter, dubbed OCNN (Ochocinco News Network).  His goal is to compete with mainstream news outlets and tell fans what’s going on with NFL teams.  Don’t laugh – it’s not a bad idea; he’s the ultimate insider and will probably dig up some compelling dirt. 

After all, who has the best access to what really happens in the locker room?  As Ochocinco promises, “"If I break it, you might as well believe it."

While it’s early in the game for the OCNN, this is another sign that traditional media is being challenged on every level.  When you think that it was TMZ that broke Michael Jackson’s death – not CNN or NBC – Ochocinco’s concept doesn’t sound so crazy.  It’s also proof that anyone with motivation, creativity, access, and resources has the ability to participate in, or even change, the entertainment and news landscape.

The OCNN will not replace ESPN or the NFL Network for football news.  But gone are the days when ESPN had a lock on sports news, when newspapers and TV owned breaking news, or when radio owned music and traffic reports.  Citizen journalism (and in this case football star journalism) is thriving.

It’s hard to stand out in today’s crowded field, but radio personalities should take notice of Chad Ochocinco’s efforts and begin thinking of ways to grow their own personas outside of the traditional airwaves. 

Chad Ochocinco …

• Has his own iPhone app

• Has over 300,000 followers on Twitter with many more to come

• Has his own content rich website that’s updated more frequently than most radio websites

• Is constantly in the news because of the content or controversy he creates

• Has creative ideas and has the cojones to put them in motion

Could a radio personality pull this off on a local level, or in the case of syndicated shows on a national scale?  Keep in mind their advantage in being able to promote initiatives to large audiences each day.  In the digital world, a big-thinking personality can do big things.

"P" - The Secret Weapon?

There is sure to be a lot of controversy about ABC-TV's new V, which debuted earlier this week.  If you haven't tuned in, it's the saga of a charismatic new leader offering the promise of hope and peace.  Of course, it's all cleverly disguised and is, in reality, an alien invasion. 

Politically, the show raises the idea about questioning what is right in front of everyone's eye, while the media jumps on the excitement bandwagon.  Clearly, Obama followers, fans, and pols will not be happy with the tone and messaging on V. 

I'm looking at the show a little differently.  Substitute a "P," and you've got the phenomenon known as Pandora that is doing a pretty good imitation of its own alien invasion, trying to take over the world.  It, too, has a charismatic, compelling leader in Tim Westergren. 

And unlike the plot line in V, Pandora's takeover plans are transparent, candid, and outside our front windshields. Unfortunately, most of the leadership in radio somehow cannot see what a threat to the industry that Pandora represents. 

And it's not like Westergren is hiding his plans.  In multiple interviews, he talks about his growth plans, and substantial successes in making Pandora available to consumers on different platforms.  Consider this:

Pandora adds 65,000 new registered users every day.  Of these, over half come from mobile phones.  Overall, he says that Pandora now has 36 million sign-ups.

Overall, 35% of Pandora usage comes from users who are listening in cars.  Westergren notes that a growing number are plugging in iPhones and other smart phones into the "aux" input on dashboards, and he's aiming to have Pandora embedded in vehicles (much like he's accomplished with phones).

Westergren is actively lobbying for broadcasters to pay what he calls their fair share of music licensing fees.  Claiming that Pandora pays 60% of its revenue in fees, he is pushing hard for radio broadcasters to pony up.  And in that process, his sheer heft and hipness makes him a compelling, persuasive voice.

While Pandora is still trying to monetize itself, it is making bona fide progress.  The service sells $1 million in revenue on iTunes every month.  And Westergren estimates that Pandora will generate revenues in the $40 million range in '09.

So, when we see radio companies continuing to battle only with one another, while totally missing what's happening outside of our shrinking empire, it is difficult not to wonder why the industry isn't taking a larger strategic inventory of the real competition for radio.

For so many years, corporate executives have pooh-poohed the Internet, streaming, texting, social networking, mobile devices and other gadgets.  You know the excuses:

"We're not giving away our content."

"When we can make money from it, we'll start doing it." 

"We'll do it when we can find a way to pay for it." 

"When there are more mobile phones out there, we'll look into branded applications."

Westergren must laugh at this because he has all that broadcast radio revenue in his crosshairs.  As he explains it to AOL's Daily Finance: "In the last year there has been a big sea change in the infrastructure surrounding radio.  That's driven by the ability of cell networks to carry a streaming audio signal.  That a phone can now stream Pandora has broken open what until now was a domain occupied only by commercial radio (satellite or broadcast) either in cars or homes.  I think this new ubiquitous streaming capability is a hugely disruptive change that will put Internet radio right up alongside broadcast radio."

And in fact, Westergren's goal is to displace broadcast radio, and he's tipping his pitches, telegraphing his passes, and allowing radio into his huddle.  And broadcasters still don't realize what's going on.

Here's an on-the-streets case in point.  With all these millions and millions of registered users, Westergren still finds a way to keep it personal and real. 

Pictured above is a personalized email that our Tim Davis received from "Tim" last month, inviting him to a Pandora "meet-up" here in the Detroit area.

So we went.  And here's what we saw:

More than 200 enthusiastic ADULTS gathered on a cool Monday night at the Palladium theater complex to hear Westergren speak, and to get a T-shirt.  How many local stations could have pulled this type of crowd - without cheap drinks or a football game on a big screen TV?  

And he did not disappoint.  Westergren is a charismatic, folksy, unassuming presenter who comes off as a music fan who just wanted to create a radio station that would play more and better music than what he grew up listening to on the FM band. 

And make no mistake about it.  In this video segment that we recorded, Westergren leaves nothing to the imagination about his long-term plan to put broadcast radio out of business. 

So while radio programmers are wrestling with each other in the mud, or rushing to beat each other out for the honor of who will be the first to play "White Christmas," Westergren has a higher mission.  

And while our sales departments are running around, giving away inventory and bonus spots, Westergen is creating value for his growing bevy of Pandora sponsors.  

And while radio ownership is still shutting down streams, waiting to commit to smart phone applications, and slow to invest in cohesive, integrated digital strategies, Westergren is rapidly eating their lunch.

Yes, it is easier to charge up the hill on an exciting mission like Pandora than it is to play defense and protect the throne.  But if broadcast radio is to succeed in this awful test of finances, innovation, and strategy, it must get serious about the real enemy. 

Or maybe it's just that famous quote from Pogo.  You have to believe that's what Westergren is banking on.

Think iPhone

Volkswagen has always been a car company that has marched to a totally different drummer.  From its "Think Small" campaign for the Beetle, to "Fahrvergnügen" (OK, maybe not the best slogan of all time), the German automaker has taken a left-handed approach to marketing. 

You have to give them credit for being consistently inconsistent.  For the launch of its new GTI, VW will do no traditional advertising.  Instead, the entire marketing effort for this vehicle is a new iPhone app they've put together in a partnership with Apple.

Their digital marketing guru, Charlie Taylor, insists that their target audience is very wired, favoring digital over broadcast.  And the demographics of the iPhone skew heavily toward thirtysomething males.  Ergo, a game app that is supposed to carry the campaign, also part of a contest that will give away a new GTI a week for six weeks starting November 2. 

As Taylor pointed out to BrandWeek, "This is the entire investment, it is a fraction of the cost for the standard automotive vehicle launch, but we did not do this for financial reasons, we do truly believe that this is one of the new forms of marketing and hyper targeting and digital allows us to do this."

That's an important statement in the annals of advertising, and we will have to wait until the end of this marketing effort to determine its effectiveness.  But as a company that has learned a thing or two about branded iPhone apps in the past year, this is very risky business.

The biggest challenge is driving awareness of the app - something that radio has no problem doing when a station or personality launches their application.  We see this in our analytics every week.  When stations or DJs consistently promote their app, it absolutely drives awareness and downloads.  

For some of our non-radio clients, the app business has proved to more precarious because there are so many apps in the store, with hundreds of new ones coming in every week.  Without a media partner, it's not an easy putt. 

So perhaps this campaign for the GTI is a test case for advertisers and broadcasters alike.  If it works, we will most likely see more efforts that bypass broadcast in favor of digital.  If it doesn't, it may serve as a reminder that multi-platform campaigns that combine the best that both broadcast and digital have to offer are the preferred ways to go. 

If Apple features the GTI app on iTunes and in the App Store, it will help VW's campaign succeed.  But keep in mind that even some of the best, most advanced, coolest, techie, and well-known brands regularly use broadcast media to reinforce awareness and sampling. 

Just ask Steve Jobs.

"Email Is For Old People 2"

It was the winter of '07 and we were just completing the pre-test phase of "The Bedroom Project," the ethnographic study we conducted for Arbitron among 17-28 year-olds.  As we were wrapping up one of the early interviews, a young lady was discussing how she communicates online.  And her conclusion?  "Email is for old people."

We couldn't believe our ears, but as she explained, email was used for school purposes and to communicate with employers.  With her friends, it was all about MySpace, Facebook, and IMing.  

And as the other 31 interviews transpired, we heard the same message again and again.  Even then, social networking had taken hold, subdividing the ways in which people interact with one another.  For friendships and relationships, sites like MySpace and Facebook put the "social" into "networking."

But for more official communiques, email was the required mode.  And as the "Bedroomers" reminded us, when given the choice of communication tools, email had become passe. 

Now a new Wall Street Journal article confirms this trend, reinforced by a follow-up CNBC feature, "The Death of Email?"  In the Journal piece, they discuss how email was a quantum improvement over the quaint pace of a letter, forcing quicker responses and reactions.  

But with tools like Facebook and Twitter, information is now a "constant stream" - and of course, that's part of the problem.  Determining the importance of messages - from what I think of the newest Curb Your Enthusiasm to what time my conference call is with a client station - can be precarious for those who are friends, colleagues, and clients.  What is essential information, what is frivolous, and do the people I interact with know the difference, and understand how best to receive my emails, wall posts, and tweets? 

Of course, depending on who you are, and how you want to interact with me, different methods of communication are going to be effective for diverse targets.

So, if you've been diligently aggregating email addresses via your station "club" over the years, keep it going - especially if you target an adult audience. 

But realize that the last 15 years of technology growth has flipped media usage patterns upside down.  Adults may have dictated the rules of the road for past generations, but during this incredible explosion of new media and hot gadgets, young people are setting the tone and pace.

Guys like me used to get in front of college classes to tell students about how the "real world" worked.  Today, we have more to learn from them than they do from us.  That's a tectonic shift in and of itself. 

Internally, we have discussed whether this blog - now nearing its fifth birthday - has already been leapfrogged by Twitter, Facebook, and other tools.  The push/pull of communication tools makes it more challenging for all of us to keep up with the people and ideas we value, and not get taken in by time sucks. 

The next time you fire up that Dell or Mac, and you've got 85 new emails in your mailbox, remind yourself of that young "Bedroom Project" respondent.

And check your age.

Post script: Technology both giveth and taketh away.  A new study by the Institute for Mobile Media Research has found that after five years of declining email usage among college students, that trend has turned around this year.  Why?  Mobile devices, which fit perfectly for this generation, have made it easier to send and receive email on the go. Stay tuned.

Sweet Dreams

The Internet continues to totally change our realities.  Products that used to be staples in the home or at work - like your travel agent, the fax machine, and the pager - are all rapidly being replaced by better, faster, and more efficient digital innovations.

There is a new item to add to the endangered species list - the once ubiquitous nightstand clock radio. 

In radio, we counted on this venerable device to help consumers start their day on the right note - listening to our morning show.  Well, at the NAB "Radio Show" last month, my room at the Marriott (yes, the convention hotel) didn't have a clock - or a radio.  

And as we've seen in our Tech Polls each year, more and more consumers are waking up to their mobile phones - not a clock radio.  

And it's not just kids using the bells and tones on their iPhones, BlackBerries, and other devices - it's mature adults.  Our newest survey for public radio - PRTS2 - illustrates the trend clearly:

So you can only imagine what's happening among 18-34 year-olds and their wake-up patterns.  How does this affect your station, your morning show, and the ways in which consumers start their days?  And what are the implications moving forward?

To get an even better understanding of how mobile is changing bedroom habits, consider that nearly half of all Americans say they sleep with their phones, according to a survey by Synovate.   That's an incredible piece of data, and it shows the growing connection between consumers and their mobile gadgets.

While many of us are focused on consumers being able to connect their iPods in cars, the day starts in the bedroom - a place where radio used to rule the roost.

So how can radio fight this growing trend?  Well, it may not be a perfect solution, but our jacAPPS division has developed an alarm clock feature for our radio apps.  You set the alarm time on the device, but instead of digital bells and bongs, you wake up to Bob & Brian, Drew & Mike, or Morning Edition, depending on which app you prefer. 

Of course, this feature needs to be marketed on the air, but that's our burden and challenge - teach consumers how to use radio via new gadgets and devices.  We have the brands, but unless we become more aware of changing consumer habits and we keep developing access to new platforms, radio will go the way of the Yellow Pages.  

And that brings to mind a promo produced by The Loop, submitted by JacoBLOG reader and Emmis Chicago Ops Director, Kyle Guderian.  Enjoy this clever promo about how stations can connect those dots.

Download Mp3 File

My Mother’s On Facebook

With all the tumult going on in 2009 between the economy, health care, and of course, Michael Jackson and David Letterman, one of the big stories may get lost in all the noise.

The growth of social networking – especially among adults – is beyond a phenomenon.  Consider what has happened with Facebook in a relatively short period of time – especially given its societal impact. 

First, Nielsen reports that the percentage of smartphone users who access social networking sites has tripled in one year – from 6.4 million people in July ’08 to more than 18 million just twelve months later.

And it’s all about Facebook, something we were able to see early on in this year’s Tech Poll, conducted among rock radio listeners last February.  Nielsen data confirms that nearly 15 million smartphone users logged onto Facebook, followed distantly by MySpace (7.1 million) and Twitter (4.1 million).

As Google unseated Yahoo!, Facebook has annihilated MySpace, making you wonder how Rupert Murdoch is sleeping these days.  Between the pressure on his newspapers, and the erosion of MySpace, it’s been a tough year.

Secondly, we recently completed a nationwide tech survey for public radio stations – our second Public Radio Tech Survey – PRTS2.  And we saw some data regarding social networking that made us initially question the results.

Among public radio listeners – and we’re not talking about folks who generally profile as early adopters – the growth in social networking from last October to this past August blew us away.  In the first study in late ‘08, we saw about one-third (34%) of our sample indicate they visit/have a profile on a social networking site.  In PRTS2 – less than a year later – six in ten (61%) now interact with these sites.

And our data indicated that it was all about Facebook – which more than doubled from survey to survey, while MySpace actually dropped in usage.

We scratched our heads trying to determine whether this was real, and then we happened across some data from iStrategy Labs, which not only confirmed Facebook’s meteoric rise, but indicated that it’s being driven largely by 35+ and even 55+ consumers – yup, just the demos that frequent public radio stations.

But most of you know all of this anecdotally, as you are either new yourselves to these sites – or you’ve been inundated with friends, family members, and industry folks “friending” you in the past several months.

Through this year, I’ll get a “friend” request from someone, and I’ll think, “SHE’S on Facebook?”  It’s happening quickly, and it has implications for radio – stations and personalities – as adult listeners are organizing and becoming parts of their own communities.

Back in the day, a bumpersticker on the back of your car made a statement about the kind of person you were.  Today, it is more about how you are using social networking tools to interact, and who’s in your network. 

As we have been exhorting station managers for some time now, the need for a more sweeping social networking strategy is long overdue for radio.  How can stations and jocks create their own gathering spots, and as importantly, how can they tap into existing virtual communities that are already up and running?

Boomers are quickly catching up with Millennials.  Their kids have taught them how to text.  They are downloading apps in record numbers.  And they are social networking at an amazing pace. 

The ways in which consumers interact with media – and each other – are morphing right before our very eyes. 

This isn’t about new media or old media.  It is about the realization that the ways in which people interact with one another has undergone seismic change, and traditional media outlets need to understand and adapt to these changes.

2B, 1M, Oh My!

The metrics from the Apple App Store continue to be spectacular, and another reminder that other devices and mobile companies are going to need to move even faster in order to keep pace.  The new data reveals that apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch have broken the 85,000 barrier, generating more than 2 billion downloads.

As for Apple's competitors, the sailing is only going to be more challenging.  This is because those who own Apple devices are far more likely to download apps.  A new Smartphone Intelligence study reinforces the action on Apple gadgets:

We recently saw the same results in PRTS2 - our technology survey conducted among more than 28,000 public radio listeners this past summer.  Isolating out the smartphone owners, the red bar at the top of the chart tells the tale.  While 45% of all smartphone consumers have downloaded both free and paid apps, the percentage balloons to 70% among iPhone and Touch owners. 

The metrics for our development division, jacAPPS, are pretty impressive, too.  We are now at the 100 apps level, with more than 1,000,000 downloads.  

But the question is whether those who download apps continue to use them.  If you own a smartphone that features apps, you know this story only too well. 

Someone tells you about an app, you download it, check it out for a day, and then forget about it.  It may remain on the "desktop," but you may as well delete it because it's never used.

For gimmick apps like iFart, this goes with the territory.  They get their 99-cents, and whether consumers return to the app or not is irrelevant.

But if you have an app for your station or you're part of a bigger "umbrella app" program, you have some control over usage.  We have the metrics to prove it. 

When stations talk about their apps - and how to use them - good things happen.  When they don't, downloads slow to a trickle, and usage very likely ebbs, too.

You can see this on the chart below from a jacAPPS client that ran a little on-air experiment.  During a one-month period, they consistently promoted their app, encouraging their listeners to download it.  Just like looking at the ebb and flow of PPM ratings, you can clearly see the cause-and-effect of these promos.

But it runs deeper than that because hundreds, if not thousands, of new iPhones and Touch devices are being sold in your market each week by Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, and now Wal-Mart.  That's analogous to new cumers moving into your city all the time, making it smart to continue to market your app on a regular basis. 

And because this is a new technology, helping your listeners connect the dots is key to any app program's success.  Don't just suggest they download the app - "teach" them that they can listen at work on their 3G network even when their employer uses firewalls to block your stream.  Or that their mobile device is now like a Walkman.  They can now take your station anywhere - to the gym, when doing household chores, and on vacation.  

Radio has a tremendous advantage over so many other businesses and brands because of that powerful cume engine.  Trust me when I tell you that we have now developed apps for many other non-media clients that don't have the built-in "loudspeaker" that reaches thousands, if not millions of consumers each week.  They would kill for your ability to run "commercials" on your own air for your app, thus generating more downloads and usage. 

Mobile technology is going to play a major role in radio's future, and broadcasters who seize the opportunity stand to be in a great position in the coming years.  The naysayers who continue to quote fledgling mobile numbers or bubbling under streaming stats are missing the point.  FM radio had low numbers at the beginning, too.

But success is going to require that your core brand is worthy of platform extension, not to mention the importance of apps that not only provide a stream, but also entertian and enhance the station in unique and memorable ways.  That's one of the reasons why we have been so gratified with our progress at jacAPPS in less than one year.  We believe our success has come from the fact that we're not code writers, but marketers who work with stations to craft strategies and solutions.

App-solutely.

You Had To Be There

Last week at the NAB Radio Show, it was yet another look at an industry in transition, attempting to come to grips with all the economic bad news, while trying to imagine the future, once the recovery takes hold.  As usual, the CEOs, the group PDs, and the digital gurus came together to discuss the state of the state during "Super Sessions." 

But perhaps the best panel of all at the NAB was WMMR's Bill Weston's "East Coast Talent" session, featuring Elvis Duran, Sheri Lynch (The Bob & Sheri Show), Preston & Steve, and Curtis Sliwa.  Bill ran the group through their paces, and there were laughs, a little outrage, and genuine chemistry - even though none of these personalities have much in common besides what they do for a living.  It was a fast-moving, exciting hour.

During another session that was called "most provocative" (trust me, it wasn't) called "Radio Stimulus Czars," featuring nine industry experts (including me), one of the bright spots was the addition of, and comments from Philadelphia radio legend John DeBella.  Again, personality to the rescue. 

It was a reminder about the historical importance of talent to radio, while begging the question about why it was so few and far between at the NAB.  Gone are the days when a big-time personality broadcasts live from the convention.  And overall, the presence of celebrity is part of the reason why our stations are still viable, despite the cutbacks, voicetracking, consolidation, and firings. Yet, big-time stars were not in abundance at this year's Radio Show. 

We took a different approach with this year's Jacobs Summit, our first ever in partnership with the NAB.  I will let those who attended the event evaluate it, but it turned out to be an interesting potpourri of sessions that combined personality and content distribution.  

We opened with Buzzmarketing author Mark Hughes, who nearly set the room on fire with his histrionics and manic presentation.  But his message was not lost on a packed room about the importance of forcing creativity, using secrets to stimulate interest, and the value of not being afraid to truly go for it.  I had seen Mark a few years ago at a session for Greater Media Philadelphia hosted by John Fullam, but he totally amped up his presentation for the Summit.

Next up, the architect of Obama for America's social networking efforts, Scott Goodstein.  With a great slide presentation and his unique perspective, Scott analyzed why the Obama campaign's use of social networking, texting, and community building was so successful.  He made an important observation about the campaign - the digital group had a seat at the table, and was in on the planning from the beginning.  And then Scott ended his presentation with an incendiary flurry of radio station websites that are more focused on "Babe of the Day" than they are on communicating a strong, unifying message.  

Then it was our turn at celebrity, and Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski from MSNBC's Morning Joe stepped up and walked the room through their show's story.  Against all the research and consulting advice, they have crafted a unique, calm, rational show that respectfully discusses the issues of the day, but does so in an entertaining, compelling way.  Joe and Mika took lots of questions from the room about how they prep, interact, and work together to craft their show.  Citadel Media has a very different radio show on their hands, and one that may have the civility and class that is so lacking up and down the dial.  Attendees saw in person what chemistry is all about. 

And finally, the Summit concluded with NPR's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air.  As we discussed in this space before, I was tasked with interviewing the interviewer, and Terry made it easy for me with her generous responses and observations.  She noted that if she planned her show with the ratings in mind, it would be a disaster.  And in response to a question about whether she has ever considered working in commercial radio, Terry commented that no one has ever asked.  I have never seen a presentation at the NAB so totally engrossed by what was happening on stage. Trust me when I tell you that no one was texting or checking their stocks during Terry's interview.

I would love for everyone to see some or all of these Summit sessions.  But none was taped - audio or video.  While one of our presenters specifically asked that their session not be recorded, the fact is that the NAB did not tape any sessions this year.  If you wanted to see any of the Summit or any NAB panels or presentations, you simply had to be there. 

I have mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand, recordings of our past Summit sessions have been much down-loaded and virally passed around during the past couple of years.  This is great marketing for our company, as well as providing the opportunity for broadcasters to recall specific things about some of the better presentations.

On the other, I also believe that some people have simply assumed that as long as we were going to post these videos, there was no reason for them to invest the money and time in actually jumping on a plane and attending the event.  As is the case with the issue of free versus paid Internet content, there's a point reached where if enough people don't attend events because they depend on others to pay the freight, eventually it is no longer possible or affordable to produce them.

I don't know what the NAB was thinking, but for this year, it is what it is.  I hope you were there, I hope you were able to attend some or all of our sessions, and I hope we are able to produce and present Summit XV in Washington, D.C. next fall. 

But as for this year's Summit, thanks to everyone who supported us once again this year, thanks to our speakers and presenters, a special thanks to Matt Cord of WMMR for emceeing the event so professionally, and thanks to the NAB.  We missed our friends at R&R, but the show had to go on.

Hope you were there.