10 Questions
10 Questions with Fred Jacobs
Name: Fred Jacobs
Title: President
Social Media Links: @fnjacobs
Company: Jacobs Media
Born: Company launched in 1983; jacapps (our mobile app company) launched in ’08
Brief Career Synopsis;
Frank Magid – Audience Research (mid-1970s), WRIF/Detroit – Research Director (late 1970s), ABC Radio, New York City – Worked on Owned FM Stations (early 1980s), Program Director (early 1980s), Formed Jacobs Media in 1983 as a research and programming consultancy, Developed the Classic Rock format in 1983, The first FM client was WMMQ (Lansing) in 1985, Almost immediate clients in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New York City, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Boston, Launched Jacapps mobile app in 2008, Created the first Techsurvey in 2005, Co-hosted Dash Conferences in Detroit with Radio INK in 2013, Led CES Tours for radio broadcasters starting in 2017, Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018, and Received the NAB Radio Award with brother Paul in 2022.
1) What were some of your takeaways from your annual Air Talent Survey results?
Women and people of color continue to be under-represented.
Medium and small size companies have a clearcut edge, especially over the biggest companies. The average air personality now does some content work for an average of three stations. And the average air-personality says they’re wearing three hats (or three jobs). Most say they are taken for granted by their parent companies.
Compared to last year’s Techsurvey, they have less fear about AI, some are using it, but many are still worried about its effect on jobs – especially their own!
2) What else are you up to these days? (Everything you are doing, including gearing up for your Annual Tech Survey)
Presenting our different versions of Techsurvery (public & Christian, lots of speaking gigs for companies, state broadcaster associations.
Gearing up for our CES Tours (we’re looking at 2 tours; the event happens in the first week in January).
3) Do you think radio sales need overhaul?
Yes (but I have thought that since 1978!). For a long time, programmers have created compelling content, much of which goes unsold. As the Digital Age continues to advance, our industry needs to meet the moment and stay ahead of various curves. But if we’re going to make new stuff, we must find effective ways to market it to advertisers. We also need to assess sales department structures. Somehow after all these decades, the industry has not settled in on a configuration that works – dedicated sellers for each brand vs. a group of sellers repping everything a station generates. I’m also hopeful about Nielsen’s proposed AQH change, crediting (in PPM only) from 5 to 3 minutes.
4) How should radio navigate towards the future?
Radio needs to do a better job of embracing digital and thinking of itself as a content hub. The quality and experiences of assets like streams, apps, and other platforms is key. Radio needs to think about how it looks and is presented in cars as that space is rapidly changing and obviously important. The ongoing legislative effort in Congress to mandate AM radio underscores the need, as do the horrific storms in Asheville. We may be now reaching a point where we simply cannot keep doing what we call “random acts of digital” where projects get green-lighted without much due-diligence. We also need to seriously start efforts to “digitize the audience.” An example is getting data on listeners who are members of a station’s database. Radio “owns” this information, but most stations do little to learn from these loyal listeners by effectively getting more information from them. What are their tastes outside of music and radio? What can both programming and sales learn from these listeners that make us smarter, more strategic?
5) Could you give some examples of ways that radio talent could create new revenue sources for themselves?
Hubbard recently signed up Adam Reader a.k.a. the “Professor of Rock.” He comes across as a mashup of a legendary-radio DJ and a savant who knows all these great stories about musical artists and how they made a huge impact. I like the idea of building events around talent (themed cruises) where audience members can buy a ticket and participate. By helping local personalities build their brands, we help build station brands.
6) Who are your role models?
Definitely my dad. He passed away in the mid-80s, right as I was getting Classic Rock off the ground – and before my two brothers, Paul and Bill, joined me at Jacobs Media. He encouraged me to go into business for myself. He was also instrumental in imbuing me with my values, which have guided everything I’ve done during a 50-year career.
7) Who has been some of your mentors and influences in your career? (In detail, explain what you learned from each of them)
There have been a lot of them. The late Ed Christian (Saga) also pushed me to start my own business. He recognized my talents and skills before I did. The late Marty Greenberg, President of ABC’s Owned FM Stations was a major influence. He taught me the core skill of balancing family with careers. Tom Bender, who hired me at WRIF, taught me the basics of programming and gave me a chance to learn at a high level. So many clients and friends – too many to list, care about me as a person and a broadcaster. Being an entrepreneur is, by nature, a lonely place to be. The people who have stepped up to offer their support and guidance have made it possible for me to grow.
8) What’s most important to you?
I place a heavy weight on doing the right thing and having a moral code that means something. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the chaos that’s sprung from people – including our leaders – doing what is their best interests, while everyone else is left behind. It’s about more than ratings and revenue. In radio, we can make an impact in our communities, but we shouldn’t wait for an emergency to do our best work.
9) Is there any one thing that you consider a turning point during your career?
Yes, there have been several – those lucky breaks you get that are inexplicable. I was kicked out of the University of Michigan after my sophomore year. An empathetic guidance counselor gave me another chance, and I didn’t waste it. My work ethic was defined by this moment. Getting my first gig at the Frank Magid company was a definite turning point – I had been rejected on two previous occasions. At the time, this was the only company doing radio research, so it was a real barrier to overcome. There was Dave Hamilton bringing me into KQRS over a big-name consultant early on in Jacobs Media, Bob Ottaway and Jeff Crow taking a flyer on Classic Rock (and me) at WMMQ in Lansing was a breakthrough. We were given a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which opened the door to working in public radio for the past 25 or so years. There were many others, which only serves to reinforce how you have to put yourself out there, read and learn everything you can, and meet as many people as possible. You never know.
10) What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Two things: As mentioned, Ed Christian and my dad pushing me to start my own company. And my GM at WRIF teaching me the value of saving “F___ You Money.”
Bonus Questions:
Would you share your thoughts on utilizing AI for research purposes?
I think where it has really been helpful is in summarizing and synthesizing a boatload of information into easy-to-understand capsules. I reject the idea, however, of bots replacing respondents in research (or being on the air). Radio needs real people reacting to our programming content.